Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

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TJ
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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby TJ » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:33 pm

Concerning the allegations that Maria Borell has neglected her farm and abused her horses. Here is an affidavit from Clark County Animal Shelter responsible for animal abuse investigations within Clark County, Kentucky issued Nov. 6 2015. They also state they had numerous other unfounded claims against Borell. The woman Kara Harrison-Tucker (Colby Fields LLC) who is the landlord and posted the videos of the farm on you tube, was the plaintiff in this case. TJ

https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... e=56F5A52B

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geowarrior
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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby geowarrior » Fri Nov 13, 2015 1:11 pm

TJ wrote:Seems Maria's friend started a "go fund me" for Maria to help her with lawyer fees and while she regroups and relocates. Not sure if this is a good move or not? What are your thoughts? TJ

https://www.gofundme.com/xd95gd3w


The problem with GoFundMe accounts is that I don't believe you can stop someone from starting one on your behalf. I'm sure her friend had the best of intentions, but I don't think this helps with the big picture. Consider the veteran who was shot 7 times at the Umpqua College in Oregon. A GoFundMe account was set up on his behalf which he had nothing to do with, and he received hate mail and negative comments as a result.

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TJ
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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby TJ » Fri Nov 13, 2015 2:32 pm

geowarrior wrote:
TJ wrote:Seems Maria's friend started a "go fund me" for Maria to help her with lawyer fees and while she regroups and relocates. Not sure if this is a good move or not? What are your thoughts? TJ

https://www.gofundme.com/xd95gd3w


The problem with GoFundMe accounts is that I don't believe you can stop someone from starting one on your behalf. I'm sure her friend had the best of intentions, but I don't think this helps with the big picture. Consider the veteran who was shot 7 times at the Umpqua College in Oregon. A GoFundMe account was set up on his behalf which he had nothing to do with, and he received hate mail and negative comments as a result.

Hi Geo,
Yes I had similar thoughts about GoFundMe? This was getting so crazy with allegations flying front, rear and center in Maria's direction, I was very glad to see the ruling by the court. There have been allegations on the Paulick Report (in the comments section) that Mcingvale hired a firm to ruin her reputation online because the majority were on Borell's side online and in the press. They made good arguments against her and her landlord and others were posting all sorts of negative comments about Borell. So I was reserving judgement till I saw the outcome in court.
Also as I stated originally, the BC and Keeneland disregarded the court papers asking to withhold Borell's 10% of the BC share of the Sprint win. The entire amount has been turned over to Mcingvale, $820,000. In addition Ken McPeek, Chuck Simon and Steve Moyer's have testified on Borell's behalf. Here is the civil action filed as well as affidavit's by the trainers. Below that is the most recent story in the Courier Journal. TJ

Civil Action: http://www.scribd.com/doc/289590559/Bor ... py-lawsuit

Courier Journal: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sp ... /75707506/

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby Mahubah » Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:24 pm

This whole nasty mess can be filed under the heading of "How to Ruin a Feel-Good Story." McIngvale had better hope Wohlers can deliver for him, because given the list of trainers he's already hired and fired and the ugly publicity generated by this case, I doubt anyone else with any reputation at all will have anything to do with him whether he wins the court decision or not.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby Patuxet » Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:45 pm

Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup dismissed from Borell lawsuit

http://www.drf.com/news/keeneland-breed ... ll-lawsuit
"He is pure air and fire and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him; he is indeed a horse ..." Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby TJ » Sat Nov 14, 2015 12:23 pm

UH-OH, this article seems to have turned the tide...if the below e=mails are legit (and there is no reason why they wouldn't be), it looks like Borell had a full understanding of the deal between her and the owner, including $10,000 as payment for GR I wins. Although there was no signed and written agreement between the two parties, these e-mails produced seem to indicate Mcingvale is telling the truth. Although it may not sit right with many, me included...these e-mails seem to be valid to prove Borell was aware of the verbal contract all along and not entitled to any of the industry standard payments and benefits for training a 2 time GR I winner? She should get out of this as quickly as she can and settle out of court, while public sentiment could help her continue in her career. Borell's only shot is Wohlers said they never pay commissions to private trainers and there are at least 3 trainers who worked for Mac who signed affidavits to the contrary. TJ

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... llery-suit

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby murphysmom » Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:15 pm


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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby Patuxet » Sun Dec 27, 2015 10:53 am

Runhappy became a three-time grade I winner Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, where he set the pace and pulled away from the field to win the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) by 3 1/2 lengths.

The Super Saver colt, who races without Lasix, clicked off fractions of :22.62, :44.81, and 1:09.06 through six furlongs under Gary Stevens, aboard for the first time, and hit the wire in 1:21.76 to claim the seven-furlong event. "He blows me away," Stevens said. "That was only the second time I've sat on him and to get to feel that power coming into the stretch was awesome."

The victory gave trainer Laura Wohlers her first grade I victory and her first graded score. She took over from trainer Maria Borell after Runhappy won the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Borell has a lawsuit pending against the colt's owner, James McIngvale, seeking money from purses the colt earned under her care.
"He is pure air and fire and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him; he is indeed a horse ..." Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby jellac » Sun Dec 27, 2015 12:17 pm

Patuxent -
Thanks for your post following Run Happy's winning of the Grade I Malibu Stakes yesterday. In sticking to the facts of this horse's performances and not enrobing his
accomplishments with the legal entanglements his human connections have managed to ensnarl themselves your post makes it particularly noteworthy what RUN HAPPY has done as a thoroughbred race horse minus all the 'emotions' that litigation bring to the fore. Admittedly it is perhaps a less operatic story but an important one none the less.

He has raced his entire career without the allowed race day medications ("Bute" and "Lasix") that every one of his equine competitors seemingly required.

He has done so, winning at the highest performance/contention level of racing in N.A. - winning 3 Grade I races.

He has won each Grade I race on a different track, winning on both coasts.

In the Malibu Stakes he alone carried 123# to his competitors 118 (listed in program).

He has come very close to fulfilling (in modern times) the long time answer of the question: 'what exactly is a thoroughbred horse?' Answer: the breed of horse "that can carry weight at great speed over a distance of ground."

When I first discovered this forum - as part of the Del Mar pedigree site some 3 decades or so ago - I lurked for a long time hoping to learn from more knowledgeable/experienced members/posters that posted here/frequented to forum discussion threads. (As an aside - I believe that I have done so and this forum and it's members/posted threads have taught me a great deal which benefited the very modist number of thoroughbreds I have purchased/bred/owned and raced/re-careered and rehomed). Back then the subject of 'race day medications' was a hot topic, opinions were varied and deeply divided within the sport and among it's fans and those who played the pari-mutual odds. The public perception that drugs - both race day legal and illegal - were heavily involved in thoroughbred racing was a major issue in the sport's integrity/continued viability. At that time New York state was the only thoroughbred racing jurisdiction in US that did not allow race day levels of Lasix and Bute. The overwhelming proliferation of these race day medications and ongoing debate as to whether they gave the horse an advantage and at what distances and whether it was an advantage only for first time administration or ongoing; whether Lasix helped/advantaged the race horse via it's side effect of the horse losing weight due to frequent/excessive urination pre-race or in that excessive urination helping to mask/flush a more insidious administration of non-legal drugs pre-race; whether it helped an equine athlete cope with heavy/humid air or whether Bute was nothing more than 'aspirin'/'ibuprofen' for the normal wear and strain of these finely tuned athletes after extreme exertion, helping them to recover faster from such efforts. I have seen the proliferation of legal 'race day medication' at tracks across the country as evidenced by their declaration for all entries/all races on any given day, any given track - and finally - by NY State's racing authorities bowing to the trend and changing their rules to allow the 'race day medication' in horses that raced on their tracks as well. I have seen the heated posts by breeders and fans of pedigree that the breeding product of N.A. thoroughbred racing was weakened and producing a less durable thoroughbred by allowing this proliferation AND then allowing stallions that has purportedly needed Lasix to race b/c they had evidenced 'bleeding' go to stud. Now, here is a horse, intact, of excellent breeding who has demonstrated the performance to match that breeding (perhaps one could argue, even exceeding the expectations of his breeding?) and he has done it without any race day medication while carrying more weight than his peers....AND he has done so at great speed.

Let's not let the PR/personality wars of 'talk TV/social media' obscure or overshadow what may be the most significant aspect of what RUN HAPPY has accomplished. I want to see him go on to be a major factor in the highest level of racing this coming year, 2016 - knocking down stakes race records/track records while demonstrating that he is the epitome of a thoroughbred - a free running individual of great strength, endurance and speed. May he continue to 'run happy'!!

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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby Joltman » Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:23 am

Agreed - he's a freak of sorts, but my prayer is that he continues to run, and remain sound, in a small-trainer operation. It could send the message that the big-machine racing operations are not the only ones that can be successful - and with no medications.

jm
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Re: Runhappy wins........trainer fired!

Postby jellac » Thu Feb 18, 2016 3:37 pm

FYI > Saw in the Houston Chronicle today that RUNHAPPY is going to be making a 'fan' visit to Sam Houston Race Park this Friday evening during the live racing program. I hope to get out there and see him in person and hope he brings lots of fans to our local horse racing venue/facility.