Doug O'Neill's Troubled Record Front And Center

[Patuxet]

A Derby Win, but a Troubled Record for a Trainer Doug O'Neill's Kentucky Derby victory places him - and his troubled record - center stage at a time when thoroughbred racing faces calls for federal regulation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/sport ... 7_20120511

O'Neill's unsavory record was also high-lighted yesterday when the authors were interviewed on NPR's "Fresh Air".

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/10/152363564 ... erous-game

i wonder why this important issue doesn't seem to energize the PQ base with the same sense of urgency that Shantal Sutherland's nudity and censorship seem to?

[docjocoy]

[i]i wonder why this important issue doesn't seem to energize the PQ base with the same sense of urgency that Shantal Sutherland's nudity and censorship seem to?

I agree. At least we'd be discussing something more relevant than phantom fashionbreds or self-serving bullies.

And O'Neil has a long and interesting record, also available by googling, he is very adept at wiggling and spinning. There are others out there like him and I certainly wouldn't cast him as scapegoat, and it is unfortunate that at this particular moment in time after his KY Derby win that all this is raising it's ugly head, but he is no angel.

[ct2346]

It's not that the issue is being ignored, but I for one have given up - there is no longer a choice that does not involve federal oversight to some degree. The only thing worth arguing involves the structure of that oversight. I work in an industry that has a huge amount of regulation and fed oversight from multiple departments - and I know this - we spend billions on compliance. If Fed oversight comes to this industry - it will be real interesting to see where those costs are borne.

[Shammy Davis]

It's either very good news, very bad news, or no news when it comes to racing. Yesterday on CNN, a segment was run on the homicide at Churchill Downs. Rather than titling the segment "homocide at CD," it was titled "the darkside of horseracing."

I recall sometime back their was a very feisty conversation about Doug O'Neill on the Racing Forum. I think he had opened up barns at Penn National and PARX. The problem was that at the same time, Michael Gill was hitting the headlines at Penn National for the numerous breakdowns occurring with his horses. The fact that Penn National jockeys would not ride Gill's horses was one of the issues.

My personal opinion is that the vast majority of trainers operate on the margins and it's really hard to find and expunge one particular weed in a lawn full of weeds.

Lord, forbid the federal government becomes involved. I agree, government compliance regulations handicap the positive growth of businesses.

For a number of years I held an appointment to a VA state regulatory board. This was an occupational oversight board and it was a member of a national compact of state regulatory boards and all the regulations were consistent with each other. We would accept licensed individuals from other states as they would accept individuals from VA. Enforcement was handled by each state, but fully recognized and followed by all the other states. I don't know about having a " horseracing league" situation, but I do believe that state horseracing regulators need to cooperate completely to enforce regulations nationally. Rick Dutrow is a perfect example of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

I was taken by the NBC interview of Tony Dutrow on derby day. He remarked (paraphased) that he was well aware of having the name Dutrow and he knew that he was being intently watched because of his brother's reputation.

My other thought is that all the bad news is coming out of the main stream media. Horseracing's media has to step up to the plate and investigate marginal and illegal activities before the mainstream media takes the ball and runs with it.

Lastly, Doug O'Neill is an attractive character. His family story, particularly his brother, is inviting. It is hard to make him out to be a bad guy, when you see him in public as this "greater than life" character. Isn't it interesting we'd be discussing this considering the owner of I'LL HAVE ANOTHER is Paul Reddam who is so well spoken of in the racehorse media?

[docjocoy]

Isn't it interesting we'd be discussing this considering the owner of I'LL HAVE ANOTHER is Paul Reddam who is so well spoken of in the racehorse media?

But Reddam (he of the delightful CashCall financial business, look that one up for some interesting reading) is also no angel, well spoken though he may be. He used to be a professor at USC (and may still be part time) but he looked around the block (USC is in an inner city blighty-urban area) and saw potential dollar signs on every street corner. Hence the founding of Cash Call. He can be so witty and is a philosophy professor but his money doesn't come from the lofty halls of USC, but the pawnshops and money lenders up the road.

[Patuxet]

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) today announced the launch of an advocacy website, cleanhorseracing.org, that is dedicated to the reform of medication rules.

Features of the new educational website include news, videos, scientific studies and commentary in support of medication-free racing, as well as several action-oriented sections that enable industry participants to pledge their support for clean racing by contacting state racing commissions and signing petitions regarding medication reform.

The site will also maintain a substantial social media presence, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

[zinn21]

Two things; Doug was recently interviewed on whether he has ever milkshaked a horse and he stated he swears on his "children's eyes" he has never milkshaked a horse. Based on what I have read about milkshaking and the testing process, I believe Doug..

Has Doug started horses he shouldn't have started? Yes.. The Burna Dette episode was a low point. Has Doug learned from his mistakes? I think he has but the proof is in the pudding. Let's see if his horses race and train sounder than in the past where is average catastrophic injury ratio was twice the national average as the above article points out..

[TJ]

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) today announced the launch of an advocacy website, cleanhorseracing.org, that is dedicated to the reform of medication rules.

Features of the new educational website include news, videos, scientific studies and commentary in support of medication-free racing, as well as several action-oriented sections that enable industry participants to pledge their support for clean racing by contacting state racing commissions and signing petitions regarding medication reform.

The site will also maintain a substantial social media presence, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Hi Patuxet,
The medication rules are undergoing change as we speak. If you are a member of the NY or FL HBPA you recently received a letter asking for support for banning drugs on race day....all arguments for and against must be in by May 14th. There is one issue that has yet to be resolved and NY HBPA in concert with FL HBPA asked its members for help in one area...that being lasix. Lasix is the only race day medication horseman are in favor of. NY HBPA stands firmly against the use of adjunct bleeder medications (which were used quietly prior to legalizing lasix in NY). Many of these adjunct bleeder meds were and are detrimental to the health of the horse. Here is an excerpt from the letter we sent to Mr. Sabini who chairs the board pushing for elimination of race day lasix.

................"The industry's tight regulation of the use and administration of Lasix promotes a level playing field for every horse racing, which is in the public's best interest and protects the integrity of the event. To ban Lasix would return the industry to a time when alternative methods of dealing with EIPH were detrimental to the health of the horse and compromised the integrity of our sport"....

Too explain how Lasix is in the best interest of the fans as well as insuring the integrity of the racing event I will have to date myself to do so:>) I was in NY before they "leveled the playing field" via legalizing lasix. It created numerous betting coups, large payoffs, rendered past performance useless and left the casual fans and hard core gamblers scratching there head with the sudden form reversals. Many trainers were called into the Stewards office after a turn around performance by their horse. The response was, "he bled last time he ran....I guess he didn't bleed today Judge". TJ

[Joltman]

O'Neill is like all trainers, pushing the limits to win, be profitable.

get rid of Lasix, now, and 'level the playing field'

jm

[Sysonby]

Two things; Doug was recently interviewed on whether he has ever milkshaked a horse and he stated he swears on his "children's eyes" he has never milkshaked a horse. Based on what I have read about milkshaking and the testing process, I believe Doug..

I do too frankly. I know of anecdotal evidence of horses whose level runs high naturally and from what I have heard the science behind the testing is far from perfect. I'm also not convinced that it is the boogieman it's made out to be from some circles but as long as racing shoots itself in the foot again, I guess it has served its purpose.

[bdw0617]

Two things; Doug was recently interviewed on whether he has ever milkshaked a horse and he stated he swears on his "children's eyes" he has never milkshaked a horse. Based on what I have read about milkshaking and the testing process, I believe Doug..

Has Doug started horses he shouldn't have started? Yes.. The Burna Dette episode was a low point. Has Doug learned from his mistakes? I think he has but the proof is in the pudding. Let's see if his horses race and train sounder than in the past where is average catastrophic injury ratio was twice the national average as the above article points out..

I mean both are a big deal and both something have to be done about it, but the milkshaking issue to me isn't as big of a deal as the Burna Dette horse breaking down at los al was. Just flat out ran that poor mare in the ground.

it hasn't garnered as much attention because it's not like we just learned about this, this week. WE knew about it years months if not years ago. the public is just now finding out about the trainer who will now be in the record books for all time.

I feel like the above poster, I mean, what are you gonna do? crying and yelling isn't going to do antyhing it hasn't done already, nothing will change utnil their is some type of change in the way hings are done or until there is federal oversight. And while federal government to me are 99 out of 100 times the 2 worst words int he english vocabulary, this is the one time i would not mind it, becuase the culture is too deep rooted to change itself.

[Crystal]

O'Neil has previous milkshaking convictions... Chantal has previous well... behavior.

[bdw0617]

Chantal has defiantly has experience talking about her "milkshake"

[Crystal]

http://www.lex18.com/news/derby-winning ... sion-in-ca

wouldn't want to see either Bring it to the yard..

[bdw0617]

http://www.lex18.com/news/derby-winning-trainer-could-face-suspension-in-ca

wouldn't want to see either Bring it to the yard..

very well played. very well played indeed lol