Finally! Washington Post buries Baffert: The dark side of Bob Baffert’s reign

[pandy]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

Think it's more of Baffert running horses beyond their capabilities, maybe with EPO or some other performance enhancer and their bodies not being able to take it. In other words working them hard and running them when they should have been stopped on. The excerpt below is the first time I've heard anyone say this and it makes a lot of sense. Equine Medical Director Rick Arthur not my favorite person but this was a rare moment of honesty IMO


https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...sting-proposal

Excerpt:

Arthur continued to point out the need for out-of-competition testing because "races are won in training," where he said doping is most effective.

Hopefully, by this time next year, this will be out of their hands. The CHRB has failed miserably, and that's putting it nicely, because, personally, I think they're corrupt.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by pandy

Hopefully, by this time next year, this will be out of their hands. The CHRB has failed miserably, and that's putting it nicely, because, personally, I think they're corrupt.

The next possible shoes to drop could be the possibility that the horse deaths that were counted at Hollywood Park did not factor in some that were sent to the farm to die. And believe it or not I've also heard that someone in the Baffert camp, possibly one of his attorneys at the time was married to one of the people doing the necropsies. She went by her maiden/professional name from what I understand. If these things are true and it is possible they aren't then it will be the straw that breaks the camels back if it isn't broken already.

Been on this for over 8 years and finally people are paying attention thanks to people like you and the guy who wrote this latest article.

[GMB@BP]

I saw nothing national about this story, no one is talking about it...some real traction it will have.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

That's a terrible take. If we can't have a racing board that follows the law and is accountable to the public, the danger of corruption is too high. If the sport ever is put out of business by the public, it will only have itself to blame.

That’s exactly right. You are correct. The other posters logic is nothing should be done about secret board meetings and investigations because the game might be shut down? That’s just brilliant , really ….. lol. That guy must me a member on that board or a relative of someone who is.
The article basically points out and documents what many of us have seen and read. A twenty year history of overages and positives. A contestant , consistent use of cross contamination excuses. I mean , I’ve heard them all now….. poppy seeds, peeing on hay, cough syrup and a weed. Jeez, how pathetic. The pattern of minimization and slaps on the wrist. The apparently healthy horses that dropped dead?
The guy that called it some kind of “gotcha” moment is the exact reaction some in the industry and this board give to the betting public. “ It’s none of your business if we cheat.” Then they cry the blues when the animal groups and government are camped at their front gate or in the governments case. Up their asses. The attitude and arrogance Bob Baffert has portrayed is how many of these clowns feel about the horses and the bettors. Both are vessels to make money. Investments, not actual breathing living beings. It’s called greed. The straw that people are talking about is the Kentucky Derby. This could be the back breaker. The pressure is on from the inside and out now. One thing this article shows is people are starting to talk. This may be the time his lawyers and “friends” are digging the ditch deeper…… cause all the crap this article pointed out is not going away . Someone also said it wasn’t “National “. The Derby story is a national disgrace. Who are people try to kid here? Themselves?

[The_Turf_Monster]

Sometimes you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

[Elkchester Road]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

https://twitter.com/racetrackandy/st...39551652261892

Thanks again for the update, Andy. I read the Online Racing Publications, but do not participate in any kind of Social Media. Your time is appreciated.

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

[Elkchester Road]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

https://twitter.com/racetrackandy/st...37356153618436

[Andy Asaro]

Charlatan retired

Life is Good heading to Pletcher

https://www.horseracingnation.com/ne...ng_surgery_123

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

[dilanesp]

Rick Arthur, California’s medical equine director, who the documents show played a central role in the scuttling of the Justify matter, said the only part of the CHRB’s handling of the case that “disappointed” him was the secrecy. While he allowed that the case was handled differently because of the Triple Crown ramifications, the special treatment had nothing to do with the horse’s trainer.


“The way this case was handled was not a favor for Bob Baffert,” Arthur said. “The way this case was handled was out of respect for Justify.”

I know this comes off a little Pollyannish, but to see these words attributed to a horse racing regulator astounds me. Who the hell cares about Triple Crown ramifications? You're job is not to protect the Triple Crown. The taxpayers of California who pay your salary do not give a crap about the Triple Crown. The written statutes and regulations WHICH YOU SWORE TO ENFORCE do not say anything about the Triple Crown. Nobody who trained you or advised you as to the content of California law told you to protect the Triple Crown.

Any person with even below average intelligence would know the basic principle that horse racing regulations work exactly the same whether you are talking about $3200 claimers at Ferndale or a Triple Crown winner. Any person.

Dr. Arthur needed to resign and go public when he was asked to protect a Triple Crown winner in secret. This is the grossest disregard of his duty to the public imaginable, and he doesn't even understand that he did anything wrong, beyond expressing "disappointment" about the secrecy.

(And even then, if you are so "disappointed" about the secrecy, you know what Dr. Arthur, you could have gone public! Especially since Dr. Arthur has ALWAYS loved the media attention and courted it. This was the only time in history the man hasn't called a reporter.)

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I know this comes off a little Pollyannish, but to see these words attributed to a horse racing regulator astounds me. Who the hell cares about Triple Crown ramifications? You're job is not to protect the Triple Crown. The taxpayers of California who pay your salary do not give a crap about the Triple Crown. The written statutes and regulations WHICH YOU SWORE TO ENFORCE do not say anything about the Triple Crown. Nobody who trained you or advised you as to the content of California law told you to protect the Triple Crown.

Any person with even below average intelligence would know the basic principle that horse racing regulations work exactly the same whether you are talking about $3200 claimers at Ferndale or a Triple Crown winner. Any person.

Dr. Arthur needed to resign and go public when he was asked to protect a Triple Crown winner in secret. This is the grossest disregard of his duty to the public imaginable, and he doesn't even understand that he did anything wrong, beyond expressing "disappointment" about the secrecy.

(And even then, if you are so "disappointed" about the secrecy, you know what Dr. Arthur, you could have gone public! Especially since Dr. Arthur has ALWAYS loved the media attention and courted it. This was the only time in history the man hasn't called a reporter.)

There's more corruption to come.

[thaskalos]

Dr. Arthur said that the case was handled differently "out of respect for Justify". And I wonder...would Justify have known if he was being "disrespected"?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Dr. Arthur said that the case was handled differently "out of respect for Justify". And I wonder...would Justify have known if he was being "disrespected"?

Maximum Security is still pissed off about his DQ.