8/27/13

It's All About the Horse, Right?



Fantastic blog by Ray Paulick today, about another rule breaker racing at Penn National.  Please click on the link and read the article as well as the comments below the article.


Drugs were administered illegally, and as a result two horses from that racing barn were not allowed to race:

(From Ray’s article)

When questioned by the Paulick Report about why Strong Resolve and Side Party Ralph were listed in the Equibase charts as scratched by the stewards, the stewards deferred comment to the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission. They also wouldn’t comment on whether a hearing will be scheduled or a complaint filed against Trish Rogers. Multiple messages left by telephone and email with the racing commission have gone unanswered.

Twenty-four hours later, everything appeared to be business as usual. Kelly’s Endeavor romped by seven lengths at Penn National for Mike and Trish Rogers, and the following night they had another winner, Ninety Five South, who won his race by 4 1⁄4 lengths.

Rogers vehemently defends his wife’s actions:

“He had bled tremendously before,” said Rogers. “This BS that horses don’t bleed is insane. They actually bleed so much, they’re drowning. What she did was wrong, but all she was doing was trying to help the horse.”

Rogers said his wife “has never had a blemish on her record in 30 years. She’s worked very hard, and to have something like this happen is a bad call. She didn’t deserve that.”

And we just have to share these comments.  They really say it all:

Darlene Allison Anders Sanner
horse bleeds that badly it should not be racing

    LaraHa
                that's what i was thinking. so much for thinking of the horse first.

    ziggypop
That was my thought, exactly. The body is telling us something. Perhaps we need to stop the drugs and listen.

Cathy R
I have bad asthma and get chronic sinus and lung infections....Can I stay home from work?

 slewcat        
That depends on you. However if your bleeding internally and I was your boss, I would suggest you going to Hershey Medical Center ASAP. Am sure the Doctors there wouldnt permit you to try out for the 440 meter time trails in 2 hours.

Beach
Yes, if your work involves running a mile or so around a track. Trust me--you'll probably code without medication, which could be illegal for this "work". Thus, it's probably better to find some other work. You can make that choice for yourself, the horse cannot. I'd bet he should be retired, and perhaps someone with decency and compassion will find the right decent and compassionate home for him. My prayers are with him.

The comments are painfully accurate.  This horse should not be racing.  Our racing industry is broken, but those words have been screamed by many and the fix is not appearing on the horizon.

Just a few days ago, we released shipping documents for Brian Moore, who lives a few scant miles from Penn National.  The documents revealed that 11% of the horses Moore ships are thoroughbreds.  And while we can only speculate where he collects all those thoroughbreds from, Penn Gaming has a zero tolerance policy for race horses to be shipped to slaughter.

Yet it goes on and on.  Remember Prince Michael a few weeks ago?


The “agent” for the owner of Prince Michael was allowed to resign.  The owner appears to have avoided any punishment.  On Saturday, August 17th, Thomas McKay’s filly Wild Imagination finished second in a $15,000 claiming race.  A quick Google search shows he’s racing horses regularly.


In some cases thoroughbreds end up in the broker owned programs.  They are often unidentified to protect the people who dumped them in the hands of the horse meat brokers.  These groups are just as guilty of facilitating the broken system and allowing the trainers/owners to break the rules, all of whom continue on a lucrative course at the expense of the horses.

Where is the accountability?  What value is the zero tolerance policy?  How many of Penn National's race horses are ending up on the truck to Canada?

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