Gary Contessa bagged again!!!

[Storm Cadet]

Another suspension for trainer Gary "I don't know the rules" Contessa...got bagged for 10 days for another one of his horses showing up in a post race drug test for xylocaine by NYRA.

This guy just doen't get it. Owners had to give back the purse the won with this horse last week. Is this twice in a six month period where NYRA has sat him down for drug test positives? :mad:

[Observer]

I know I'll catch heat for this .. but I'm going to share what I read anyway .. apparently the horse in question had a procedure performed by the vet at a time that was not scheduled. This procedure was supposed to have been performed sooner than it was, but because it was done at a later time, the filly came back positive for lidocaine.

The story is here .. just scroll down after you open the link.
Lidocaine Positive (http://www.drf.com/news/article/51807.html)

[cj]

Unfortunately for Mr. Contessa, once you've been caught in the past, its the "Boy who cried wolf" syndrome. Why should we believe him? His last time being caught was not his first, and this won't be his last. That is a sure thing if you could bet on it!

[kenwoodallpromos]

Whether or not Contessa has a bad rep on drugs, this article gave no cause to bad mouth Gary! Sounds like not even his primary track!!

[cato]

The article sates in part that Contessa scheduled the operation with his vet to take place at some earlier time, but in fact, "Unbeknownst to Contessa," the operation took place at a later date so that the horse turned up positive for lidocaine when she ran.

This is an excuse? It sounds like a statement "I'm incompetenet. I don't know when my horses have surgery and I have no clues how long drugs stay in their system and so I don't know when I can legally run them"

Or they worked real hard, real fast to come up with an excuse (!)

Cato

[VetScratch]

Effectively, there is no penalty since the barn will run in Frank Amonte's name during the suspension.

Since pictures have become the rage in other threads, here is a caslick pictorial:

PA's EDITOR'S NOTE: To the unaware, a caslick procedure involves "the suturing of a portion of the vagina to prevent the intake of air, which could lead to urinary-tract infections." Therefore, the following link contains graphic photos of this procedure....

http://www.ava.com.au/content/private/ava_upload/theriogenology/caslick'.htm

[WINMANWIN]

Looks like Contessa has lost one of his Main Owners as Scott Lake has HORSES NOW for OWNER Maggie Moss, who claims many horses and spends Money. Big Blow to Contessa:eek:

[VetScratch]

The credibility of Contessa's excuse would have been elevated if the story had pointed out that the filly was a new arrival at the racetrack or that she had ruptured her previous stitch-up.

[PaceAdvantage]

Hey VetScratch, warn us the next time you're going to post graphic stuff like that....at least with the slaughterhouse video link that was posted recently, we knew what to expect. Many don't know what a caslick procedure involves, and you did not explain it in your post with the link.....slick move....

[TonyK@HSH]

Originally posted by WINMANWIN
Looks like Contessa has lost one of his Main Owners as Scott Lake has HORSES NOW for OWNER Maggie Moss, who claims many horses and spends Money. Big Blow to Contessa:eek:

Win,

Maggie has one running for John Zimmerman tonight at Mountaineer. She is spreading it around right now as I understand it.

Tony

[Tom]

Originally posted by PaceAdvantage
Hey VetScratch, warn us the next time you're going to post graphic stuff like that....at least with the slaughterhouse video link that was posted recently, we knew what to expect. Many don't know what a caslick procedure involves, and you did not explain it in your post with the link.....slick move....

Dittos to that!
I was eating a sandwhich!
Operative word is "was."

[WINMANWIN]

Originally posted by TonyK@HSH
Win,

Maggie has one running for John Zimmerman tonight at Mountaineer. She is spreading it around right now as I understand it.

Tony

Yes, Moss spends money in the claiming game, and uses
different trainers, but when I viewed the pp's of some horses,
they were prevoiusly trained by Contessa, and now Lake has them. Which tells me, she has pulled horses from Contessa
and possibly disbursed them to other trainers, including Lake, that was the intent of my post.;)

[VetScratch]

Sorry guys, the procedure was described in Observor's link right before mine... such stuff is so commonplace around horses that I didn't give it a thought... I guess you will all be prepared next year on the SAR backside if someone calls out, "Say there, give us a hand and hold this tail for a moment."

[Storm Cadet]

West Point Thoroughbreds took all their NY horses away from Contessa last year and gave them all to Rick Violette and Steve Klessaris.

[Tom]

Originally posted by VetScratch

... I guess you will all be prepared next year on the SAR backside if someone calls out, "Say there, give us a hand and hold this tail for a moment."


I heard that at SAR this year, but it was Dave Schwatrz and it was nothing like your link;)

[PaceAdvantage]

Come on Vet, you know that we're all just basically hermits who sit in front of our PCs clicking the mouse furiously while watching our online account balances whittle away to nothing.....

Why would we know what a caslick procedure is?.....LOL

And yes, it was explained in the link Observer posted (which is where I lifted a portion of my Editor's Note), however, if a user did not click on Observer's link, they may be unaware of what the procedure entails...

[VetScratch]

PA,

I honestly overlooked the possible shock effect because stitching them up is so commonplace. When I read the newspaper account from Observer's link, I thought Contessa was being shielded from criticism by the usual public relations spin... the newspaper used "operation" and "surgery" to describe what is a simple topical procedure. In other words, how often and how long does Contessa expect to plead bungling of feed regimens and common procedures when he flunks substance tests?

If I had to guess, the filly has painful suspensory problems and needed some help to run through discomfort.

[Storm Cadet]

Are the Stewards that stupid or that corrupt?

Do they honestly believe Gary and his sorry excuses or do they have to look the other way for the sake of the sport? Do any of the stewards ever ask for a surgical report from the vet, date of meds given either prior, during or after the procedure and THEN make a evaluation to his "story"

That's why all this drug stuff stinks with this sport...

[jotb]

Originally posted by Storm Cadet
Are the Stewards that stupid or that corrupt?

Do they honestly believe Gary and his sorry excuses or do they have to look the other way for the sake of the sport? Do any of the stewards ever ask for a surgical report from the vet, date of meds given either prior, during or after the procedure and THEN make a evaluation to his "story"

That's why all this drug stuff stinks with this sport...

These trainers should be suspended for a min. of 1 year and they should not be allowed to run horses under the assistants name.

[Suffolk OTB]

Contessa claimed the vet came in and performed the procedure unbeknownst to anyone in the barn.

Ah...how does a vet do that without anyone knowing about it?

Sounds like Contessa needs to pay more attention to his horses.

[Suff]

Originally posted by Suffolk OTB
Contessa claimed the vet came in and performed the procedure unbeknownst to anyone in the barn.

Ah...how does a vet do that without anyone knowing about it?

Sounds like Contessa needs to pay more attention to his horses.

This kind of Excuse turns the whole backside Paranoid and gets people uptight around the barns. It gives the impression somone can roam into a barn and Perform a procedure without permission. The VET is known person...and for him or her to be in and out of the BARN is normal... The odds that an unknown person can simply walk into a BARN and do something is IMPOSSIBLE. I've roamed many backsides...and the backside is FULL of RICH OWNERS and Guests..that are all about.. but all Barns have an invisible line that NO ONE gets past that isn't known or expected.

I get closer to the Stock while in the stands and Paddock than anyone Naturally can on the backside. I'd hate to see it turned into FORT KNOX because Contessa needs an out here.

Welcome Suffolk OTB. I read you on the NYRA Board.

[VetScratch]

Suffolk OTB,Contessa claimed the vet came in and performed the procedure unbeknownst to anyone in the barn.This is all the more reason why Contessa's assistant trainer should be serving a parallel suspension... double negligence (if you even begin to believe the story).

[Suffolk OTB]

Thanks for the welcome Suff. This seems like a good place to hang my hat. I saw a thread on Contessa and I couldn't resist...LOL.

[Suffolk OTB]

Vet Scratch

Contessa is running out of excuses. He had excuses when for his 8 positives last Winter. He had excuses for losing Maggi Moss's NY operations to Scott Lake. He has excuses for the 'stealth vet'. All that is left is 'the check is in the mail' and 'the dog ate my homework.'

[VetScratch]

Suffolk OTB,

Watch your mail for Suff's Welcome Wagon Gift Package! I loved my blinking ruby-red earrings... in fact, I'm wearing them now... <blink>... <blink>... <blink>... :D :D :D :D