ADDITIONAL BELMONT SECURITY MEASURES DIRECTED AT O'NEILL

[Patuxet]

"The additional steps for O'Neill include that his horses cannot be treated in any way "without a board investigator present." No treatment should be allowed by mouth or by feed for any horse trained by O'Neill without him conferring with a board investigator who will log the treatment and discuss the reason for treatment. In addition, O'Neill must provide veterinary records for all the horses he has running at Belmont, including I'll Have Another."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/sport ... ref=sports

[casallc]

"Special" rules for targeted people and horses should not be tolerated. Paul Reddam needs to get an attack dog lawyer and get a restraining order against Cuomo and the NY racing officials, or better yet tell NY to kiss off and leave. See how fast they cave when they don't have IHA to increase the gate and all other profit centers for the Belmont. While New York State accounted for the biggest migration exodus of any state in the nation for the last few years over taxes (3.4 million) - the numbers leaving because of stupidity like this has to be huge.

Maybe they could move the third jewel in the Triple Crown to someplace less corrupt - like Detroit.

[TJ]

It's simply the NY Times, NY State's partner in saving racing and getting into the VLT vault, going for more biased sensationalism in print. The State is not singling out O'Neill alone, the rules (handed out to all trainers this morning at the NYRA tracks) apply to every entrant in the Belmont Stakes. Why just the Belmont Stakes, because the world is watching? It's such hypocrisy...why not all the races on the card....you mean the ignorance of the state in their noble quest to protect the horses, fans and the integrity of the sport of racing isn't aware there's more than one race on that Saturday's card....not to mention the thousands of other races run all year? In doing this only for the Belmont Stakes...it sends the wrong message to the racing world, in all fairness it should be done for every race run in NY on Belmont Day...not just the premier race at Belmont Park and carried on thereafter (which had been done before when they had the detention barn in operation in NY). This prejudicial treatment in singling out only The Belmont Stakes, is sending the wrong message to the world and the racing public. Just the best horses and trainers are subject to scrutiny....but all the rest of the races don't matter,why.. they play fair? But at least we can rest assured, thanks to our fearless State leaders... the integrity of a possible Triple Crown winner will be upheld at all cost. TJ

[casallc]

It is not only the Belmont Stakes, the lunacy of the stewards and NYRA in general is rampant. Look at the Sheepshead Bay Stakes last weekend:
http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_ ... pshead-bay
It takes some creative "logic" to arrive at the ruling by the stewards. Watch the start replay after the race. I'm sure that any bettors that had Mystical Cat to show are scratching their heads too. This is one of the most bizarre rulings I have ever seen.

I was once disqualified for interference and placed last BEHIND A RIDERLESS HORSE but at least the stewards recanted after I brought rules of racing to their attention.

When, even the darling of the carrots and candy for racehorses crowd, Michael Matz says "Jesus, do they make this stuff up as they go along?" about Belmont - something stinks.

[Tappiano]

Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemons and a few others would command the same attention if they decided to compete again.

[zinn21]

I am all for leveling the playing field but not at the expense of the horse. This poor horse and all the others now have to be placed in a separate barn meaning most must endure yet another stall move. There are enough controls in place, IMO, that should negate the musical stalls scenario..

[Tappiano]

I do believe sequestering horses on the day of a stakes race has been done before this and not just at Belmont. It's just getting MORE attention because of the trainer.

[BenB]

I do think that is fair, in order to maintain an even level playing field.

[casallc]

Not many horses accept change of environment well - especially young horses. The key responsibility of a trainer is to keep his horses relaxed, willing and happy. That is harder to accomplish when you are moving them around more than necessary.

[TJ]

Not many horses accept change of environment well - especially young horses. The key responsibility of a trainer is to keep his horses relaxed, willing and happy. That is harder to accomplish when you are moving them around more than necessary.

Hi Cas,
The good news is that I'll Have Another seems to be bomb proof. NYRA granted O'Neill's request to move Lava Man into the stall next to him and O'Neill further asked to be moved into the detention barn Monday 6/4 rather than to wait for the mandatory date Wed. 6/6. Seem's like O'Neill's making all the right moves for his horse under the condition's imposed by the State of all the Belmont Stakes entrants. TJ

[casallc]

Not many horses accept change of environment well - especially young horses. The key responsibility of a trainer is to keep his horses relaxed, willing and happy. That is harder to accomplish when you are moving them around more than necessary.

Hi Cas,
The good news is that I'll Have Another seems to be bomb proof. NYRA granted O'Neill's request to move Lava Man into the stall next to him and O'Neill further asked to be moved into the detention barn Monday 6/4 rather than to wait for the mandatory date Wed. 6/6. Seem's like O'Neill's making all the right moves for his horse under the condition's imposed by the State of all the Belmont Stakes entrants. TJ

That may be so, but this is something that is bigger than I'll Have Another or Doug O'Neill. No one can dispute that O'Neill is being targeted. In an effort to "appear" evenhanded the officials are actually being just as despicable as one who drugs horses. Their invention of special rules and regulations is vexing and downright un-American. Their attempts to prove their strong stand against perceived ill treatment of racehorses has turned into a comedy of errors and become fuel for the bonfire that is the remnants of the racing business.

If they get their way in getting rid of O'Neill, this ordeal has made a good resume builder for the diplomatic corps. I'd have told them to kiss my rear last week.

[TJ]

Not many horses accept change of environment well - especially young horses. The key responsibility of a trainer is to keep his horses relaxed, willing and happy. That is harder to accomplish when you are moving them around more than necessary.

Hi Cas,
The good news is that I'll Have Another seems to be bomb proof. NYRA granted O'Neill's request to move Lava Man into the stall next to him and O'Neill further asked to be moved into the detention barn Monday 6/4 rather than to wait for the mandatory date Wed. 6/6. Seem's like O'Neill's making all the right moves for his horse under the condition's imposed by the State of all the Belmont Stakes entrants. TJ

That may be so, but this is something that is bigger than I'll Have Another or Doug O'Neill. No one can dispute that O'Neill is being targeted. In an effort to "appear" evenhanded the officials are actually being just as despicable as one who drugs horses. Their invention of special rules and regulations is vexing and downright un-American. Their attempts to prove their strong stand against perceived ill treatment of racehorses has turned into a comedy of errors and become fuel for the bonfire that is the remnants of the racing business.

If they get their way in getting rid of O'Neill, this ordeal has made a good resume builder for the diplomatic corps. I'd have told them to kiss my rear last week.

Hi Cas,
Can't say I disagree. But this has been in effect before when they had the detention barn in NY. NYRA doesn't have the last word anymore, Cuomo intervened with the State and this is why we are seeing this. Those he has advising him don't have a clue about horse racing. They are on a witch hunt that will ruin racing...which is what they want. Racing is too costly to run and interferes with the big, easy money profit produced by the VLT's. TJ

[photofinish]

[
Hi Cas,
Can't say I disagree. But this has been in effect before when they had the detention barn in NY. NYRA doesn't have the last word anymore, Cuomo intervened with the State and this is why we are seeing this. Those he has advising him don't have a clue about horse racing. They are on a witch hunt that will ruin racing...which is what they want. Racing is too costly to run and interferes with the big, easy money profit produced by the VLT's. TJ

This, times 50, is what we are in for when the feds start "overseeing" racing