California Horse Racing Board | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Ill Advised And Slanderous’: CHRB Chairman Unloads On Vet Board Over Blea Investigation

Dr. Gregory Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, called the recent investigation and action by the California Veterinary Medical Board to temporarily suspend the license of the CHRB's equine medical director, Dr. Jeff Blea, an “unwarranted and unfair vendetta” that is “ill advised and slanderous.” Ferraro said Blea has become a “pawn in a politically driven effort” to hurt horse racing in California. As a result of Blea having to be put on administrative leave from his post with the CHRB, Ferraro added, “the health and safety of racehorses are being compromised.”

Ferraro, formerly a racetrack practitioner and director of the University of California-Davis Center for Equine Health, made the remarks during Thursday's regularly scheduled meeting of the CHRB following a report by the regulatory agency's executive director, Scott Chaney. Chaney, a one-time assistant trainer at Southern California racetracks, also defended Blea's integrity and professionalism, as did CHRB vice chairman Oscar Gonzalez and commissioner Alex Solis, a retired jockey.

Chaney's comments to the board follow:

“As you know, the California Veterinary Medical Board has filed accusations against our Equine Medical Director, Dr. Jeff Blea last month alleging violations from his previous employment as an attending veterinarian. Although I question the veracity of those allegations, what is particularly disturbing is the desire to suspend his veterinary license in advance of his hearing and more to the point, prevent him from working in his role as Equine Medical Director.

“The CHRB has hired outside counsel to represent our interests and in the interim, UC Davis, for which Dr. Blea works, has appointed acting EMDs to fulfill the statutory and regulatory roles. On a personal note, I would like to say that I have known and worked with Dr. Blea for more than 20 years. He is the one of the finest and most ethical veterinarians I have met and more importantly, one of the finest humans with whom I have interacted. I am sorry for Dr. Blea and his family, and although he has been professional and hopeful throughout this ordeal, it is not right that his excellent reputation be besmirched in this way.

“The CHRB is doing everything in its legal power to right this wrong. And while we are making do for the time being, in a very real way, the CHRB is less effective at protecting animal welfare without him.“

Chaney gave a promising report on the decline in California horse racing fatalities in recent years, particularly in 2021. The 0.63 deaths per thousand starts for California racing in 2021 may be the lowest in the country, Chaney said, adding that it is difficult to compare data to other states that are far less transparent than California.

“Our reform efforts are working,” said Gonzalez, suggesting the CHRB will push to have Blea reinstated. “We need Dr. Blea as equine medical director.”

“I know how much he cares about horses,” said Solis.

Blea is among several racetrack veterinarians being investigated following anonymous complaints to the Veterinary Medical Board that certain regulations were not being followed. Other racetrack practitioners have called those regulations outdated and ill-suited to equine practice. Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB's former equine medical director, said his experiences with the Veterinary Medical Board have led him to believe some board members are anti-horse racing.

Blea is the only veterinarian being investigated whose license was temporarily suspended.

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Letter To The Editor: Mandella Cites Veterinarian Blea’s ‘Honor And Exceptional Care For Equine Welfare’

The following letter from Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella is in reference to the investigation of California Horse Racing Board equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea by the California Veterinary Medical Board and Blea being placed on administrative leave by the CHRB pending a Jan. 21 hearing.

I have known Jeff Blea for over 20 years. He became my main veterinarian, I believe in 2006, when Rick Arthur retired. I have trained racehorses since 1974 and I'm fortunate enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I believe I've had some of the best veterinarians work for me starting with Jack Robbins, Rick Arthur and Joe Cannon. As they retired, Jeff Blea was next in line. I would say that Jeff is one of the best I have ever met. However that would be an afterthought compared to his integrity, honesty and desire to make racing a safer and better place.

Dr. Blea remains an outstanding ambassador to the sport. Jeff is highly educated, well experienced, honorable, and has always conducted himself so his actions align with the best interests of equine athletes. He was President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and The Southern California Equine Foundation. He has served on numerous boards, committees, aftercare programs and research foundations.

Dr. Blea always discussed and made sure I understood the plan when deciding medication, treatment or procedures with the horse's best interest in mind. This is not like small animal vets that see the patients once or occasionally. The veterinarians are here every day as well as the trainers and assistant trainers and they know the horses very well.

In a 2015 interview on I Am An Equine Veterinarian, Dr Blea said – “There's an inordinate amount of trust between a human being and a horse. I love being around horses, being outside, working with them, and working on them. The racetrack is a unique environment, and the people are what make that community so enjoyable… When I retire and look back on my career, I'd like to say I was ethical. I was honest. I did not tolerate lying. I was a good father. I was a good friend. I was a good human being…”

I would say the man I know lives this statement. He didn't just make it up.

Dr. Blea is thorough, thoughtful, scientific and ethical in his medical approach. His honor and exceptional care for equine welfare should not be in question or carelessly attacked. For a man to overcome his injuries (his left arm and hand were paralyzed from a training accident while he was a jockey in his teens) and to have the career that Jeff Blea has had, he deserves an award of some kind instead of trashing the man's life, not just his career.

– Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame trainer, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please write to info at paulickreport.com and include contact information where you may be reached if editorial staff have any questions.

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Jan. 3-10

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public and where.

California
Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/07/2022
Licensee: Andreas Psarras, trainer
Penalty: $500
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Trainer Andreas Psarras, who started the horse House of Targaryen, who finished fifth in the sixth race at Santa Anita Park Oct. 10, 2021, is fined $500.00 and assessed one half (1/2) point in accordance with California Horse Racing Board rule #1843.4 (Multiple Medication Violations–Expires 01/07/23) pursuant to rule #1887 (Trainer or Owner to Insure Condition of Horse) for violation of rule #1843(a)(d) (Medication, Drugs and Other Substances), and rule #1843.1(b) (Prohibited Drug Substance–Methocarbamol 4.7 NG/ML [Class 4]).

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/08/2022
Licensee: Keith Desormeaux, trainer
Penalty: $400
Violation: Late registration of Lasix
Explainer: Trainer Keith Desormeaux is fined $400.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1845 (Authorized Bleeder Medication–late registration) of Miss Everything in the eighth race Jan. 7, 2022, at Santa Anita Park.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/08/2022
Licensee: Abel Cedillo, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Abel Cedillo is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1688(b)(7) (Use of Riding Crop–more than two times in succession during a race–first offense in the last 60 days) during the third race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 7, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: John Velazquez, jockey
Penalty: $500
Violation: Use of riding crop in post parade
Explainer: Jockey John Velazquez is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1688(b)(3) (Use of Riding Crop–during post parade–first offense in the last 60 days) while warming up for the first race Jan. 7, 2022–at Santa Anita Park.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: Tyler Baze, jockey
Penalty: $1,000
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Tyler Baze is fined $1,000.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–third offense within the past 60 days) during the second race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 8, 2022.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 01/09/2022
Licensee: Mario Gutierrez, jockey
Penalty: $750
Violation: Excessive riding crop use
Explainer: Jockey Mario Gutierrez is fined $750.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–second offense within the past 60 days) during the eighth race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 8, 2022.

The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Jan. 3-10 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Equine Medical Director Blea Placed on Administrative Leave by UC Davis

Jeff Blea, California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director, has been placed on administrative leave by UC Davis pending a formal review of his veterinary license, according to Blea's attorney, George Wallace.

The story was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The California Veterinary Medical Board last week announced that an emergency hearing had resulted in an interim suspension of Blea's veterinary license for a number of alleged offenses, including purportedly administering “dangerous drugs” to racehorses without a prior examination, without forming a diagnosis and without medical necessity.

The veterinary board also claims that Blea presents a “danger to public health, safety and welfare,” due to his oversight of the high-profile investigation into the death of the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit (Protonico), the Kentucky Derby winner who collapsed and died after a scheduled workout on Dec. 6 at Santa Anita.

A TDN investigation into the accusations leveled against Blea, however, found a broad consensus among veterinary medical experts that the infractions are largely matters of poor record-keeping which rarely, if ever, rise to the level of a suspended license.

Though the role of the equine medical director has not historically been contingent upon having an active veterinary license, the CHRB responded to Blea's emergency interim suspension by bringing in the executive associate dean of UC Davis's School of Veterinary Medicine, John Pascoe, to oversee the necropsy of Medina Spirit.

This, the CHRB said, “satisfies the VMB's stated reason for filing the temporary suspension petition and therefore requires it to consider its withdrawal.”

A formal hearing on the veterinary board's petition for an interim suspension of Blea's license is scheduled for Jan. 21

The equine medical director is first appointed by the dean of UC Davis. The CHRB then contracts with the university for the appointee's services.

According to Scott Chaney, the CHRB executive director, “if the [Equine Medical Director] was on administrative leave, UC Davis would appoint an interim person or persons to fulfill these statutory regulatory roles of the EMD, and we would amend our contract to reflect that.”

In response to questions about who UC Davis might appoint during Blea's administrative leave, a UC Davis spokesperson wrote that “UC Davis has sufficient personnel to ensure that the obligations of the position are fulfilled.”

As part of the TDN's investigation into the accusations leveled against Blea, Eric Peterson, former member of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Board, told the TDN that had he been presented with the same set of accusations, he would have recommended issuing a fine of “at most” $100.

“I was on the Kentucky vet board for 10 years. This would be minimal,” Peterson said. “We might not even fine him for this.”

According to Brian Langlois, former president of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, while from a purely public perception standpoint, “there probably is some merit” in the veterinary board's argument to remove Blea from overseeing the Medina Spirit investigation, there appears no obvious conflicts of interest that might preclude him from the task.

“I would think there would be more merit to their argument if he was the one physically doing the necropsy or physically running the drug tests, or physically collecting the samples from Medina Spirit after his death,” says Langlois. “But from what I understand, he isn't.”

The equine medical director is the “primary advisor to the board on all matters related to medication and drug testing, the practice of veterinary medicine within the areas regulated by the board, and the health and safety of horses within the enclosure,” wrote former CHRB equine medical director, Rick Arthur, in a letter to Lourdes Castro Ramírez, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

In the letter to Castro Ramírez–secretary of the agency under which both the veterinary board and the CHRB sit–Arthur calls the actions by the veterinary board a “political hit-job.”

As such, Arthur urges Castro Ramírez to have inside counsel “review the obscene accusations against Dr. Blea and the politics behind their over-the-top accusations. Something needs to change at CVMB. This is a travesty for an exceptionally professional and ethical person.”

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