TOP TAMPA TRAINER SUSPENDED

[karlskorner]

Don Rice, 6 time leading trainer at Tampa, suspended for using "milkshakes".
Maybe the reason he is doing so poorly at Tampa this year, since they are testing for "milkshakes"

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=32072

[GaryG]

I hope Tommy's wife wins a ton of races with them. She has all except the ones Rice owns. :ThmbUp:

[xfile]

More about Don Rice in my previous thread entitled "This makes me angry"

[shanta]

Don Rice, 6 time leading trainer at Tampa, suspended for using "milkshakes".
Maybe the reason he is doing so poorly at Tampa this year, since they are testing for "milkshakes"

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=32072


Good. Time to weed some of this crap out anyway. He has been like the plague the whole meet. Now the fog clears a bit.

Rich

[Maxspa]

All.
If he's guilty and of course in the morning's St. Pete's Times Rice denies wrongdoing and questions legality of the random pre-race test.

Then as Larry the Cable guy would say
"GIT ER DONE"

To get credibility back "GIT EM ALL"

Maxspa

[Ron]

More about Don Rice in my previous thread entitled "This makes me angry"

maybe you should have used a better title.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Maybe the reason he is doing so poorly at Tampa this year, since they are testing for "milkshakes".
My guess is he was used to winning and began using as a result of the poor record. I say somebody dropped a dime on him and they waited to catch him with several at once. It makes your muscles feel less tried, but does not make you run faster if you are OTM at your best anyway.

[syyamo]

Don Rice is a notorious slow starter at the TAM meet. It is generally advised to give his horses a few starts over the track and he starts to warm up right about now. Past history would indicate that his slow start was expected and may not be related to the "milkshake."

[Maxspa]

All,
Story in the St. Pete's Times by Bob Putnam states,"Don Rice, one of Tampa Bay Downs' top trainers, most likely will be suspended an additional six months after having a third horse test positive for an illegal performance -enhancing mixture known as a "milkshake"
"Downs media relations director Margo Flynn said the track is waiting for confirmation on the third sampling and that a ruling should come today!
Git Er Done!
Maxspa

[GaryG]

This is still just a "house rule" right? It is not right that he can just move to another venue and resume business. Don't think his horses fit too well at Calder, maybe Mountaineer.

[shanta]

All,
Story in the St. Pete's Times by Bob Putnam states,"Don Rice, one of Tampa Bay Downs' top trainers, most likely will be suspended an additional six months after having a third horse test positive for an illegal performance -enhancing mixture known as a "milkshake"
"Downs media relations director Margo Flynn said the track is waiting for confirmation on the third sampling and that a ruling should come today!
Git Er Done!
Maxspa

Hey Todd. You payin attention to all this? :p

Richie

[rrbauer]

Horses named in latest track release and Rice's suspension extended for six months.

"According to Tampa Bay, the three horses that tested positive were Twisted Cord, fourth in the eighth race on Jan. 27; Honest Chance, third in the ninth race on Jan. 29; and Headline, second in the fifth race on Jan. 31. Since penalties for alkalizing agents are being enforced as a house rule, Tampa cannot disqualify the horses or redistribute purse money."

From DRF
http://www.drf.com/news/article/72102.html

Comment:
You would think that if the guy was going to cheat that he'd at least win some of those races. I went back and checked my records and I didn't back any of those named (good move!). Basically, Rice only races his own stock at Tampa (has farm in Ocala) so I doubt that he will be doing much racing elsewhere. Be interesting to see if he chooses to "retire" at this juncture. If he shows up again next year at Tampa he will be under a microscope.

[twindouble]

Horses named in latest track release and Rice's suspension extended for six months.

"According to Tampa Bay, the three horses that tested positive were Twisted Cord, fourth in the eighth race on Jan. 27; Honest Chance, third in the ninth race on Jan. 29; and Headline, second in the fifth race on Jan. 31. Since penalties for alkalizing agents are being enforced as a house rule, Tampa cannot disqualify the horses or redistribute purse money."

From DRF
http://www.drf.com/news/article/72102.html

Comment:
You would think that if the guy was going to cheat that he'd at least win some of those races. I went back and checked my records and I didn't back any of those named (good move!). Basically, Rice only races his own stock at Tampa (has farm in Ocala) so I doubt that he will be doing much racing elsewhere. Be interesting to see if he chooses to "retire" at this juncture. If he shows up again next year at Tampa he will be under a microscope.
?
What I don't get and never have is why "honest" horsemen aren't up in arms when someone is stealing their purse money. The only reason I can come up with is they know very well cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there. Just don't get caught and become the example.

In my opinion, the trainer's licence should be revoked for life, when you put it all together, he's screwing the public, other horsemen and endangering the health of the horse. What more would it take?


T.D.

[Tom]

Comment:
You would think that if the guy was going to cheat that he'd at least win some of those races.....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Don't stand next to this guy in a thunderstorm!

[kenwoodallpromos]

"cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there."
Proven untrue. See Jockey Club on the subject.
http://www.jockeyclub.com/roundtable_05.asp?section=8

[twindouble]

"cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there."
Proven untrue. See Jockey Club on the subject.

What I said was The only thing I can think of when it comes to horseman not up in arms about cheating. I didn't say "cheating is part of the game". Give me reasons why horseman don't act. I don't like it when someone takes just part of what I said and makes a Quote out of it.

T.D.

[rrbauer]

twindouble writes:
"What I don't get and never have is why "honest" horsemen aren't up in arms when someone is stealing their purse money. The only reason I can come up with is they know very well cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there. Just don't get caught and become the example."

People in glass houses.........

[twindouble]

twindouble writes:
"What I don't get and never have is why "honest" horsemen aren't up in arms when someone is stealing their purse money. The only reason I can come up with is they know very well cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there. Just don't get caught and become the example."

People in glass houses.........



I've stated in other threads, overall racing is honest, there is and has been an element of cheating for as long as I can remember, it's the degree of it that concerns me because of the drugs that are prevalent in our society. Goes without saying wouldn't you say? I just can't imagine honest horsemen not knowing the score, that's what I'm saying. That's clear isn't it? No one can tell me a good horsemen wouldn't see the flag go up when a horse that has never ran 1:10 in his 6 or 7 year life ESP when his best was 1:11-4 on a 6 track. Other examples are more shocking.

T.D.

[kenwoodallpromos]

"?
What I don't get and never have is why "honest" horsemen aren't up in arms when someone is stealing their purse money. The only reason I can come up with is they know very well cheating is part of the game and any would do it when the opertunity is there. Just don't get caught and become the example.

In my opinion, the trainer's licence should be revoked for life, when you put it all together, he's screwing the public, other horsemen and endangering the health of the horse. What more would it take?


T.D."
IMO, the quotation marks around the word "honest" make me assume you consider all trainers cheaters, or at least know about it as in your last post.
I can think of a few other reasons that other trainers may not have absolute evidence another one is cheating= the vet or a stablehand is doing the actual cheating; most test positives are because there is a few cc's too much in the needle; the horse caught with too much legal meds in it have a slow metabolism or have not been excercising as much and flushing as much out of their system; trainers are too busy dealing with paperwork, owners, front office, jockey agents, employees, farriers, vets, feeding the barn cat, running stables at more than 1 track, shuttling horse between tracks or track to farm or track to practice track; reading trying to keep up with rules and regulations of the national,state, and local organizations and new ideas in equine health, betting money for the owner; or figuring out what equiptment or placement will work better for each of their horses; or as in case of Tom Schell, reading posts either disbelieving his horses win or about how all trainers including him who win more than 30% are cheaters.
I guess as soon as they get done all of that they can use some of the many hours left over in the day to wonder around the backside spying on all the other trainers so they can snitch on one giving too many cc's of lasix.
_________
Your latest post:
"I've stated in other threads, overall racing is honest, there is and has been an element of cheating for as long as I can remember, it's the degree of it that concerns me because of the drugs that are prevalent in our society. Goes without saying wouldn't you say? I just can't imagine honest horsemen not knowing the score, that's what I'm saying. That's clear isn't it? No one can tell me a good horsemen wouldn't see the flag go up when a horse that has never ran 1:10 in his 6 or 7 year life ESP when his best was 1:11-4 on a 6 track. Other examples are more shocking.

T.D."
To now take part of the quote out of context-
"I just can't imagine honest horsemen not knowing the score, that's what I'm saying."
Well, I certainly can imagine that!

[twindouble]

Kenwood;

T.D."
To now take part of the quote out of context-
"I just can't imagine honest horsemen not knowing the score, that's what I'm saying."
Well, I certainly can imagine that! Quote;

Ok I get it, no one is minding the store right? The most important thing to any trainer is the purse and your tell me they wouldn't have a clue when others are cheating them out of it. Granted they collect their fees but no wins, no horses I would think. Also, they never read the racing form, to busy for that and they don't care how the competition measures up.

I'll have to chew on that for awhile.


T.D.

[GeTydOn]

Sorry to break the news but cheating happens in every industry. No? Ain't this world full of crooks? Or is it really just happening in horse racing? (This is not in defence of cheats)

[kenwoodallpromos]

"VLADIMIR IS VERY SHARP
AND SHRUDE.THINGS ARN'T ALWAYS AT FACE VALUE WITH HIM."
I will not identify the person who said that but obviously suspects things with VC. That does not mean that others never know for sure but everything I have heard second hand has been rumor forwarded by another who heard it somewhere. That is why in Ca the CHRB has violations listed online- facts and figures is all you can be sure of. Email TBD and tell them to list violations online. And the fact is a very small % of horses are in violation of drug rules. Anyone who has facts or figures to prove otherwise will catch my interest.
This thread is here because complaints caused a rule change and the use of unfair drugs was caught within thew month and the trainer suspemded 6 months. Dec 31 2005 milkshaking was not punishable in FL and purses are still not taken away.
All in all, I would say this is eveidence that those in charge are as acting as quickly as possible to curtail use of unfair substances.
But then again, I am trying to look positive at improvements, not looking for negatives; that is other people's jobs (like the stewards).

[Figman]

I see improvement in NY too and NY is supposedly the toughest anti-drug state.
All their rulings are posted online here:
http://rulings.racing.state.ny.us/frm_Rulings.aspx

New Jersey also posts their harness and thoroughbred rulings online. I'll post the link when I can find it again.

As far as TCO2 (milkshake testing) is concerned, New York and New Jersey opted for POST race samples as lasix has no effect on the post race samples. Lasix administrated in both states is mandated to be given 4 to 4 1/2 hours pre-race and the TCO2 sample is taken 75 minutes post-race. The effect of lasix wears off after five hours.

New York is now taking pre and post race samples and just recently (within the past month) changed their rules so that the commission can punish licensees that incur 37 or higher millimole TCO2 readings from non-lasix PRE-race samples and 39 or higher millimole TCO2 readings from lasix treated horses. Previous to this change, the rules allowed the sanctions only from post-race samples. Lasix interferes with the testing of PRE-race samples.

And the Don Rice track suspension of 6 months by Tampa Bay was not the first 6 month milkshake suspension by a racetrack in recent months. Saratoga Raceway, the harness track in NY with video gaming, suspended its by far and away leading driver of 2005 Fernand Paquet for six months for two milkshake positives incurred with horses he trained. Paquet had won well over 200 races at Saratoga in 2005.