Letter to the Editor: Clark Shepherd

   In Response to Beau Lane's Letter to the Editor from July 31:

Bravo, my friend!

The discussion on the impacts of public accusations, even before any form of due process takes place, cannot be understated. I liken the scenario to a judge telling a jury to “disregard that last statement” painting a vivid picture of the harsh reality we face. This metaphor cogently emphasizes the irreversible harm that can befall individuals and organizations alike when accusations are prematurely thrown into the public sphere.

The court of public opinion, bolstered by the immediacy of today's media landscape, can irreversibly tarnish a reputation in the blink of an eye. This should serve as a wake-up call to us all. It is our collective responsibility, as part of this industry and society, to uphold the principles of due process and to tread with caution when dealing with potentially reputation-damaging information.

We must always seek to ensure fairness in our dealings, refraining from passing judgement before a comprehensive and fair process has taken place. Swift conclusions and reactions can lead to lasting damages, often affecting those who've devoted their lives to the industry, and once tarnished, a reputation can rarely be fully restored.

The integrity of our industry depends on our commitment to these principles. Our actions today will shape the future of horse racing, and we must navigate these complex issues with wisdom, patience, and a dedication to justice.

Clark Shepherd

Shepherd Equine Advisers, Inc.

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HOF Rider Jerry Bailey Talks Jim Dandy And More On Writers’ Room

It was a good week to have a Hall of Fame jockey on the TDN Writers' Room, presented by Keeneland, as the Green Group Guest of the Week and especially to have that jockey be Jerry Bailey, who knows a thing or two about analyzing a race for an audience. Bailey pulled no punches when asked about whether or not he felt Forte (Violence) should have been disqualified in the Jim Dandy Saturday at Saratoga.

“I thought it was a bad call,” said Bailey. “I thought he was the best horse in the race, but I thought he should have come down. The rules of racing state that even if you are not clear of somebody and you change paths and you interfere with their progress, which you clearly did, then you should be disqualified. I mean, if you look at the chart, even the chart says he forced his way out. I'm paraphrasing here, `repeatedly bumping with the outside horse.' And then he came back in and it was negligent. So, yeah, I thought he should have come down.”

Bailey said that the danger went beyond this one race. “Look, you want a safer product out on the track as you can possibly get for both horse and rider. And I'll tell you from experience, I went through it myself. I won't name the riders, but there were two or three in New York that the stewards let get carried away and go over the line repeatedly, and then the line gets farther and farther away and it gets more severe. And what happens is the riders take it into their own hands. If the stewards are not policing the riders and enforcing the rules, then the riders are left to police themselves. And that is not a good situation.”

Bailey also relived his exploits on Cigar, his Derby wins on Sea Hero and Grindstone, and told tales about his days in the jocks' room.

Elsewhere on the Writers' Room, also sponsored by Stonestreet, NYRA Bets, Lane's End Farm, XBTV, WinStar Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds, and the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders, Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and T.D. Thornton discussed (what else?) the Jim Dandy non-DQ, and the other big races of the weekend, previewed the upcoming Test, Whitney, and Saratoga Derby at Saratoga as well as the Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, and discussed the top news stories. Those included Jason Servis's four-year prison sentence, Santa Anita's decisions on improvement expenditures in light of the closing of Golden Gate, and HISA's policy change on provisional suspensions.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

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War Like Goddess Defends Turf In Glens Falls

The influence of Champion grass horse and MGISW English Channel both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed cannot be overstated. After stints at Hurricane Hall, Lane's End and finally, Calumet, we sadly lost him late in 2021, but he still has an active group that continues to carry home his legacy.

Who is his most successful offspring? Maybe it's Chicago's own, MGISW The Pizza Man? Or how about MGISW Channel Maker, who just added another graded trophy to his collection last weekend at the ripe old age of nine? Or what of back-to-back Grade I winner Heart to Heart and lest we forget, the GI Travers S. hero V.E. Day?

While this worthy debate rages around your nearest watering hole, don't forget to consider the resume of English Channel's MGISW and MGSW War Like Goddess.

George Krikorian's 6-year-old mare is entered as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in Thursday's GII Glens Falls S. over the turf at Saratoga Race Course. The two-time defending champion returns upstate after running sixth in the GI New York S. June 9 at Belmont Park.

The Bill Mott trainee is making what is becoming a regular appearance upstate at the celebrated track. She is 4-3-1-0, with her only miss coming in last year's GII Flower Bowl S., when she was beaten a neck by the Peter Brant-owned and Chad Brown trained, Virginia Joy (Ger) (Solider Hollow {GB}), who returns here at 8-1 on David Aragona's line.

While Virginia Joy finished one position ahead of War Like Goddess in the New York S., her 4-year-old stablemate GISW McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was third. Owned by Klaravich Stables, the bay filly was facing older females for only the second time in that spot and she will be 7-2 on the morning-line in the Glens Falls as she stretches out to 12 furlongs for the first time.

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Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: July 25 – 31

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 (or not) and where.

The TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These will include decisions from around the country.

 

CALIFORNIA

Track: Del Mar

Date: 07/27/2023

Licensee: Ed Carroll, owner

Penalty: Restoration of financial good standing

Violation: N/A

Explainer: Owner Ed Carroll (DBA: Carroll Boys Racing) having satisfied a financial complaint filed by Veterinarian Melinda Blue for $491.76, is restored to good standing and California Horse Racing Board ruling LATS Ruling #03 dated March 3, 2023, is set aside.

 

Track: Del Mar

Date: 07/27/2023

Licensee: Thomas Varney Reeve, owner

Penalty: Suspended license

Violation: Failure to appear for steward's hearing

 

Explainer: Owner Thomas Varney Reeve lll, having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards at Del Mar Race Track on July 26, 2023, is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear), pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility $486.34 to Veterinarian Melinda Blue). Suspension to commence August 3, 2023.

 

Track: Del Mar

Date: 07/29/2023

Licensee: Juan Hernandez, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode Wide West (IRE) in the seventh race at Del Mar Race Track on July 28, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (August 5, 6, and 10, 2023) for altering course without sufficient clearance in the stretch, causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount from sixth to seventh; a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

 

NEW YORK

Track: Saratoga

Date: 07/28/2023

Licensee: Jeffrey Englehart, trainer

Penalty: Fourteen-day suspension and $2,000 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Mr. Jeffrey Englehart as responsible trainer under 9 NYCRR , 4043.4 (a) , violated Commission rules in that Mr. Jeffrey Englehart trained horse ” Victory Built” , that finished 2nd in the 2nd race at Aqueduct racetrack on March 11th 2023, and having received a report from the New York State Drug Testing and Research Program that a race-day blood sample taken from horse “Victory Built” had the substance Phenlybutazone present at a concentration, including an assement of the measurement uncertainty and imprecision of the quantitative threshold, in excess of 0.3 mcg/ml in plasma in violation of 9 NYCRR 4043.3 (a) (26). Having waived your right to an appeal trainer Mr. Jeffrey Englehart is hereby suspended 14 Calendar days August 3rd 2023 through August 16th 2023 inclusive and fined the sum of two thousand ($2,000) dollars.

Furthermore, horse “Victory Built” is disqualified from any part of the purse and the stewards order the purse redistributed as follows:

  1. # (6)  Gandy Dancing
  2. # (2)  Bronx Bomber
  3. # (3)  Doin'ittherrightway
  4. # (1)  Uno
  5. # (5)  Double Shot

 

Track: Saratoga

Date: 07/30/2023

Licensee: Irad Ortiz, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: For having waived his right to an appeal Jockey Mr. Irad Ortiz Jr is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days August 9th 2023, through August 11th 2023 inclusive. This for careless riding during the running of the 7th race at Saratoga racecourse on July 27th 2023.

 

Track: Saratoga

Date: 07/30/2023

Licensee: Jose Ortiz, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: For having waived his right to an appeal Jockey Mr. Jose Ortiz is hereby suspended three (3) NYRA racing days August 9th 2023, through August 11th 2023 inclusive. This for careless riding during the running of the 10th race at Saratoga racecourse on July 26th 2023.

 

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit's “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

This does not include the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

 

Violations of Crop Rule

Canterbury Park

Harry Hernandez – violation date July 26; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

 

Colonial Downs

Jorge Ruiz – violation date July 27; $250 fine and one-day suspension, “excessive use of the riding crop”

 

Saratoga

Jose Ortiz – violation date July 26; $522.50 fine, 7 strikes

Jaime Alexis Torres – violation date July 27; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

 

Pending ADMC Violations

 

Date: 07/20/2023

Licensee: Natalia Lynch, trainer

Penalty: Provisionally suspended

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the possible presence or possession of Levothyroxine, a banned substance. This is a possible violation of Rule 3214 (a)—Presence of a Banned Substance or a Banned Method.

 

Date: 07/01/2023

Licensee: Nestor Cascallares, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Irazu, who won at Tampa Bay on 7/1/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance.

 

Date: 06/02/2023

Licensee: Bernard Dunham, trainer

Penalty: Pending

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Albuterol—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Afandi, who finished second at Pimlico on 6/2/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance.

 

Date: 05/29/2023

Licensee: John Pimental, trainer

Penalty: Provisionally suspended

Alleged Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: For the presence of Methamphetamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Golovkin, who finished sixth at Monmouth Park on 5/29/23. This is a possible violation of Rule 3212—Presence of a Banned Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers.

 

Resolved ADMC Violations

Date: 05/31/2023

Licensee: James Acquilano, trainer

 

Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points.

Alleged Violation: For the presence of Methocarbamol—Controlled Medication (Class C)— in a sample taken from Sabreen, who finished second at Finger Lakes on 5/31/23. This is a violation of Rule 3312–Presence of Controlled Medication Substance.

 

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