Attorney Alan Pincus Joins The TDN Writers’ Room To Discuss HIWU Suspensions

With the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) issuing provisional suspensions in what seems like a rapid-fire manner, attorney Alan Pincus has been busy. He is representing trainer Mario Dominguez, who was hit with a provisional suspension after a horse he trained allegedly tested positive for cobalt, and has worked with trainer Jonathan Wong on his case. A Wong-trained horse allegedly tested positive for the banned substance Metformin.

Pincus joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast sponsored by Keeneland to discuss his cases and to express his views on what has transpired since HIWU took over drug testing and enforcement on May 22. Pincus, to put it mildly, is not a fan of what is going on. He was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week.

“The HISA regulations are written in a way that is truly evil,” Pincus said.

His complaints were many, starting with how violations of banned substances are dealt with by HISU. Once a positive has been determined for substances that are on the banned list, the trainer involved is immediately suspended. That takes place before a hearing can be held and before the results of a split sample are received.

“They give you very little chance to defend yourself,” Pincus said. “The worst part of it is that when you have a banned substance, they come to you. They give you a letter that says you have a positive for this drug. They tell you 'get out' and you're out that next day. What happens to a trainer who is told to get out? Their horses must be relocated to different trainers in different stalls. You lose your owners, you lose your horses, you lose your ability to make a living. In the case of Mr. Dominguez, he had a dozen horses. He was a small trainer working his way through and was doing okay. But like most trainers, he is living month to month. Now you've taken away his ability to make a living. You haven't charged him with anything, but he's dead. That's against due process.”

He continued: “He's yet to be charged with anything. They won't charge you until the split sample comes back. It's due momentarily. But his life has long since been over. He hasn't been charged with anything. What happens if the split sample comes back and it's under the level? What do they say? 'Oops, sorry that I destroyed your life.' The whole system is unconstitutional. It's based on the fact that you're guilty until proven innocent.”

Pincus also opined that there are substances on the banned substance list that don't belong there, that should be treated as relatively minor issues.

“Mac Robertson (who also received a provisional suspension from HIWU) got a positive for Regumate, another very low-level drug,” Pincus said. “It can't possibly be a banned substance. You're supposed to be looking for a Etorphine and EPO and things like that as banned substances. Not these things. It's ridiculous. You're going to see more, one a week. It's like Russian roulette out there. These guys, they're not cheaters. And besides the fact, you have very little chance under their system of winning. It has to stop.”

Pincus said the old way of doing things is preferable to a world under HIWU and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).

“They're not going to be able to do it better than the racing commissioners,” Pincus. “The racing commissions know about the game. They have experience in the game. The stewards are the most knowledgeable people in racing. Now we've gone and replaced them with a bunch of people who say things like, 'Let's change the whip to a popsicle stick with a piece of cotton on the end of it and look at some grainy films and see if that was a jockey winding up or he actually hit the horse.' It's stupid. The seventh whip strike is animal cruelty? Then what was the sixth whip strike, which is allowed?”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, WinStar Farm, Lane's End, XBTV.com andhttps://www.threechimneys.com/ West Point Thoroughbreds, the team of Bill Finley, Randy Moss and Zoe Cadman, jumped into the controversy surrounding the extension of Bob Baffert's ban by Churchill Downs. Moss predicted that Baffert would fight the extension in court and that, this time, he would prevail. The team also took a look back at the win by West Will Power (Bernardini) in the GI Stephen Foster S., run this year at Ellis Park, and the game victory by Fort Bragg (Tapit) in the GIII Dwyer S. Looking ahead at this weekend's action, Finley focused in on the GII Suburban S. at Belmont. A race with a long history and one won by some of the sport's all-time greats, the Suburban, Finley said, has turned into a second-tier race. He argued that there are too many races on the NYRA calendar for older dirt males and said the best solution would be to discontinue the Suburban, which, this year, drew only five horses.

Click here to watch the Writers' Room podcast or here for the audio-only version.

The post Attorney Alan Pincus Joins The TDN Writers’ Room To Discuss HIWU Suspensions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Graded Stakes Fireworks Set For Saturday

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap.

Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer

One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old colt came down with a fever, against the undefeated Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), who is making his stakes debut for Brad Cox.

“This gives us options. We can see how we do here,” said Tom Ryan, managing partner of SF Racing. “There will be opportunities to stretch him out down the road if we feel that's the right thing. A race like the Allen Jerkens could be on the radar for him later in the summer if we felt like he needs a cutback.”

The other half of the co-feature is the GII John A. Nerud S. for older horses at seven furlongs, which includes Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) the winner of the GIII Runhappy S. at Belmont May 13 for Bill Mott. “He's run some good races and if he gets a good trip, he usually runs pretty well,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “I think he's fine on the lead or fine with a target. It just depends how the race sets up.”

Promiseher America Looks to Rebound

Trainer Ray Handal scooped up the first graded race of his career when 3-year-old Promiseher America (American Pharoah) won the GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct in early April. With a tough trip in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the chestnut filly will look to rebound in Saturday's GIII Delaware Oaks. She will face a pair of challengers in Juddmonte homebred Fireline (Arrogate) from the barn of Chad Brown and Siena and WinStar Farm's Miracle (Mendelssohn) trained by Todd Pletcher. Also part of this card is the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. over the grass, which includes Ian Wilkes trainee Miss Yearwood (Will Take Charge)–winner last out of the Keertana S. at Churchill Downs.

Five at Woodbine

Canada Day on Saturday fits in well as Woodbine Entertainment hosts its own fireworks when it cards five graded races. The GIII Marine S. includes Chad Brown invader Turf King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) whose main rival will be King's Plate hopeful Twin City (Klimt), while the GIII Selene S. witnesses the return of reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief).

Wonder Wheel | Coady Photography

Not seen since she was ninth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, the Mark Casse trainee makes her first start at her trainer's home base. “I was really disappointed with her effort in the Ashland,” Casse said from his Ocala base. “And the Oaks was kind of a weird-run race. Then I wanted to get her up there and train her on the Tapeta. I just find that horses thrive at Woodbine, more than anywhere. I just kind of felt like we needed to get her back to square one, try to get her some confidence.”

Switching to the turf, trainer Larry Rivelli sends sprinter One Timer (Trappe Shot) north of the border for the GII Highlander S. as his 4-year-old gelding meets George Weaver shipper Outlaw Kid (Violence). Also on the grass, the GII Nassau S. includes Todd Pletcher trainee Scotish Star (Arg) (Key Deputy) who will look to upend current Canadian Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper). Back on the Tapeta, the top three finishers from the June 4 running of the GII Eclipse S. at Woodbine–Treason (Constitution), Carrothers (Mshawish) and Tyson (Tapit)–will once again face one another in the GIII Dominion Day S.

Antonucci After More Graded Glory

Trainer Jena Antonucci made history when she won the GI Belmont S. last month and now she is looking for more graded hardware, this time at her southern digs in South Florida. Doc Amster (Midshipman) will compete in Gulfstream Park's GIII Smile Sprint Invitational S., but the 6-year-old will have to face down potential favorites in Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) for trainer Michael Yates and Todo Fino (Chi) (Verrazano) for Amador Sanchez.

The post Graded Stakes Fireworks Set For Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Charge It Wins Easily In Return To The Races

8th-Gulfstream, $74,400, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 2-5, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:41.96, gd, 1 1/2 lengths.
CHARGE IT (c, 4, Tapit–I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie), a 'TDN Rising Star' not seen since his 23-length romp in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont last July, was hammered into 1-5 favoritism for his return to the races Sunday. Eased out of the gate, he found himself four wide into the clubhouse turn before taking back to race fourth in the top flight. Led through the half by Laughing Boy (Distorted Humor), the grey began to inch up on the front pair up the backstretch under a motionless Luis Saez. Two wide for the lead as the field spun for home, Charge It easily cleared off and, under minimal urging, cruised home to defeat Vittorio (Ghostzapper) by 1 1/2 lengths. Out of a daughter of prolific broodmare Take Charge Lady, I'll Take Charge is a half-sister to champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GISW Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), GISW As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and to the dam of champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and MGISW Omaha Beach (War Front). Charge It has a yearling half-brother by Into Mischief while I'll Take Charge returned to leading sire Tapit for a full-sibling in 2023. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 6-3-2-0, $411,700. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

The post Charge It Wins Easily In Return To The Races appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights