Robert Shapiro

[exiles]

I see Robert Shapiro resigned as Chairman of the California Racing Board.
Thank you mr Shapiro, for all but ruining a great race circuit with your premature and uninformed mandate requiring synthetic surfaces.:ThmbDown:

good riddance

[Bobzilla]

I tend to make this same mistake all the time myself but the Chairman of the CHRB was Richard Shapiro, not Robert, who is the celebrity defense attorney who had gain fame by being a member of O.J's "Dream Team" during the latter's infamous murder trial in 1995.

I share some of your frustration over the synthetic issue in California. At the time the mandate was announced many of us felt the mandate was "wildly premature", just to use a quote by Steven Crist. At the same time I hope everyone would agree that SOMETHING had to be done in the wake of such meets as Del Mar 2006 and Arlington 2006 where horses were having to be euthanized at an alarming rate. But the rush to view, or simply declare, the synthetic solution as a panacea and the lack of consideration of all the factors contributing to the break down problem certainly had many questioning and suspicious of the more underlying reasons why many in the industry chose to convert. Many of us have felt all along that better maintained dirt surfaces accompanied by more aggresive veterinary oversight and more accountability on the part of horsemen would do more to help horses than simply converting to synthetic grass and turning North American racing as we've known it for centuries on its head.

Shapiro will always be remembered most for the synthetic mandate; however, when one looks back at his tenure in its totality one will see some positive contributions as well such as the more aggresive posture towards steroids and other illegal medications and their corresponding penalties.

[cj]

Shapiro will always be remembered most for the synthetic mandate; however, when one looks back at his tenure in its totality one will see some positive contributions as well such as the more aggresive posture towards steroids and other illegal medications and their corresponding penalties.

Exactly what penalties will he be remembered for? The rules look tough on the books, but in practice SoCal is a trainer's playground.

[JustRalph]

how can you give him credit when a week after he resigns, three horses go down in the first day at Santa Anita.......


Two in the first race of the meet............

I know that there are a gazillion reasons it can happen, but the jury is still out and they are leaning toward a verdict of "how much did it really help"

[Steve 'StatMan']

Doesn't he still have PVal's & his atty's footprints all over him?

[kenwoodallpromos]

how can you give him credit when a week after he resigns, three horses go down in the first day at Santa Anita.......


Two in the first race of the meet............

I know that there are a gazillion reasons it can happen, but the jury is still out and they are leaning toward a verdict of "how much did it really help"
So, what ARE the reasons?

[Spectacular Sid]

If the Pro-Ride don't fit, you must acquit.

[JustRalph]

yeah right Ken, I am supposed to answer your inquiry with why horses break down? :lol:

[cj]

If the Pro-Ride don't fit, you must acquit.

Nicely done. For those that don't know, Robert Shapiro isn't the guy that retired, I think his name is Richard. Maybe OJ should have hired Robert again.