Horse test positive for meth - trainer suspended 1 year

[djefferis]

Horse at Northfield positive for meth

Happens more than you would expect with Standardbreds. Absolutely inexcusable conduct as well - one of the few times I’d agree with PETA on something in that this should be a LiFETIME ban.

Heard of a few cases of this in New Zealand and Australia - first one here though. How freaking stupid can you be cheating in a 4500 race ?

Get them the hell out of the barn for good. It’s a bad look for a sport that doesn’t need any publicity like this.

 

[Tanko]

WTH? I've never heard of this.
So I'm guessing someone figured out Meth helped the performance of the horse, right?

I'm wondering how many different drugs they test for in horses. Has to be hundreds. I guess trainers will try anything to get ahead.

 

[jjgold]

Still need a fast horse to win, might help a little but no guarantee

 

[BMR Genie]

A perma banned and a fine at least.

 

[BobbyFK]

I'd be interested to see @rdalert447 take on this.

I remember watching this clip a while ago. I think cheating is widespread throughout the industry in one form or another

 

[djefferis]

Thoroughbred they will try just about anything - cheating is rampant. Only need to look at one of the biggest names in the sport in Baffert to see the guy likely gave out more drugs than Balco in the 90s/2000s to athletes.

Standardbred is a little more clean - but still some dirty trainers and idiots. Part of the reason I prefer Standardbreds.

Think of this way - a 500k horse is nothing in thoroughbred racing - and it runs once every 5 weeks at most. Huge amounts of money involved and if a 50k horse manages to win a couple of races - toss him out in a 100k claimer - hope he gets taken off your hands before breaking down and you are highly profitable.

Standard bred runs about once a week - and while there are certainly big money horses - they sell for much less in general. Race more and sell for less - less incentive to cheat. Plus it’s also a pretty tight community and less tolerant. A lot of guys are semi retired or just running the fair circuit. No ones flying in on their private jet here - they are driving a truck and pulling the horses and a cart behind them.

Just sad though - this guy I believe had a reputation before. Trying to place the farm - I know he was from out in Streetsboro (North of Akron/closer to Kent State for those familiar with Ohio - or just down the road from Aurora and the old Geagua Lake/Sea World).

 

[KVB]

Unreal. That's fukked.

Horse trainers understand that "you aint catching no crackhead" so meth and crack are the way to go in this day and age.

Amirite?

 

[rdalert447]

I'd be interested to see @rdalert447 take on this.

I remember watching this clip a while ago. I think cheating is widespread throughout the industry in one form or another

Lol. It’s not surprising. I don’t know too much about the trotting industry, but I know cheating is rampant in the thoroughbred biz.
In my opinion, it doesn’t stop until they start going after the horse owners. There’s an owner in NY that I have been ranting about for years, Michael Dubb. He has used every dirty trainer over the years, with much success. Dutrow, Navarro, Servis, Rudy, etc etc. The trainers get busted, he skates. But he’s an industry insider, so everyone in the industry turns a blind eye to it. Does he hire all these juicers by mistake?? C’mon…..

 

[djefferis]

Just looked up the horse - last ran 1/23 (4th) at Northfield - the new trainer Jodi Schillaci.

So the “punishment” requires that the offending party change the trainer of record to an immediate relative who is not banned and continues to create a situation where the animal is kept at the same facility - under the direct care of the offender. Just a change in who is listed on paperwork to side step a cheat.

As pointed out above - no one has a direct interest in cleaning up the cheating - just hiding it and saying the cheats have been removed - while removing them in name only. Same crooked trainers get hired by same crooked owners - but no one wants to toss owners - too connected and too much money. If an owner wanted rid of a cheat - they would be blackballed in a second. But the governing bodies just do what the owners want and try to appease the states here. Owners have way too much influence and oversight is under their control.

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