Kill the messenger, F the horseplayer

[MonmouthGuy]

In the wake of the Life at Ten incident, the Kentucky Horse Racing Board plans to take some affirmative action.

They are considering a rule that will ban jockeys from talking to the media after taking their mount in the paddock.  That\'s right, their response to this incident that cost horseplayers millions of dollars will be to make sure that horseplayers have LESS information prior to post time so they are less likely to know that they are getting screwed.

http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/hear-no-evil-see-no-evil/

[bstaubs22]

This is horrible. You have to believe that this is being done because the KHRB is not doing enough to ensure the safety of the horses, but also the integrity of this game we love. They were called out on the biggest stage(BC) and are now fishing for ways for themselves to not get blamed when something like Life at Ten happens again. Well I guess if their new rule goes through, we will not know about it if it does happen again. Pretty sad when both trainer and jockey feel like something was amiss and all 3 parties did nothing about it.

B

[miff]

Once again the clueless clowns running the game get it backwards, pssssst more transparency, not less, f--king morons.


Mike

[TGJB]

If there wasn\'t serious money at stake this would actually be pretty funny. It\'s like when big bettors started flocking to rebate shops, they decided the solution wasn\'t to give rebates, but to try to ban them.

Theory here presumably being, if a tree falls in the forest, and you cover your ears...

[Lost Cause]

As much as I love Johnny V he should have gotten some kind of punishment for not telling the vets something...He pretty much sat on the horse in the gate and eased him once the gates opened..
And these fools think that he should not have even said anything to the media either..
They want to know why this game is losing people..here is an example..

[Mall]

It\'s not always easy figuring out who said what to whom when everyone is covering their behind, but while there\'s plenty of blame to go around, my bottom line continues to be that the final responsibility rests with the trainer who, given this incident and what happened with Quality Road, now seems to me to be a lot more suited to a position like a CEO of a hair gel company than any job where being a true horseman is required.

However, the woman who owns the horse apparently doesn\'t think the trainer had anything to do with what happened: http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/statement-on-behalf-of-candy-debartolo-owner-of-life-at-ten/

[Boscar Obarra]

Been around the game a long time and I was shocked at the L@10 incident.

 Shocked not that they don\'t give a shit about the customers (old news) , but that JV would talk to the media, and then not get off the horse.

 Not much different than horses being sent to post with zero intention of trying, which happens each and every day. But we accept that because it\'s not broadcast on ESPN.

[sighthound]

Exactly.  The jock is the final responsibility.  Any other country, JV would have days from the stewards for his coverup.  Unbelievable.

[plasticman]

JV should get a 1 year suspension for lack of effort. Maybe he\'ll ride harder when he comes back.

[jmetro]

Boscar Obarra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>  Not much different than horses being sent to post
> with zero intention of trying, which happens each
> and every day. But we accept that because it\'s not
> broadcast on ESPN.


True many horses are sent to the gate without, what I would rather call, no chance of winning.   Maybe Life at Ten was a notorious poor warm-up horse that only got going once the bell rang.   Wouldn\'t be the first time a horse ran good when the jockey felt it wasn\'t giving them that sign beforehand.

What if Johnny V had said what he said and the horse, did \"wake up\", did run well, and win?   Just curious what the attitude of the betting public would have been then.   He was in a no win situation imo once his comments were made to Bailey.

[Lost Cause]

Since he\'s ridden her plenty of times i\'m sure he would have said somewhere in the interview that was her usual warm up but he seemed genuinely concerned..From a bettor\'s perspective it is the equivalent of a stiff job..You bet your money on a horse the trainer and jock know ain\'t winning..

[TGJB]

The easiest way to deal with this situation is to do what they do in NY when half an entry is a late scratch-- have the horse run for purse money only, not as a betting interest.

[sighthound]

I wish we were more like other countries:  the betting public is advised on bitting/equipment changes (accurately!), if the horse is to be ridden more on-pace or taken back (running style changes), works and trials are more public. If the animal finishes up the track it\'s announced what happened (bled, sore).  

And if a fav doesn\'t run, the trainer, owner and jock are in before the stewards, and they want your best damn answer about what you think caused it.  Now.

[magicnight]

Sight, you think works are more public in, say, England? Just the opposite, I would think.

[miff]

US racing is the least player friendly venue in the world. Gambled horses in Australia, England, Hongkong and agree with Sight.Does not mean there is no bad stuff happening there but I\'d guess much less.

Players need to organize much better to get the NYRA\'s/political stooges of the  racing world to change things which are unacceptable, gambling wise.

Mike