Bloodhorse reports on a bill proposed in the NY Senate that would raise the maximum fine that can be imposed on rules violators. Incredibly, the current maximum of $5,000 was imposed in 1953 and hasn’t changed since then. The proposal notes that a $5,000 fine in 1953 would be worth $38,500 today after accounting for inflation.
"Further, with the advent of cell phones, video cameras and other telecommunications technology, banning a trainer from the race course grounds no longer effectively punishes or removes such a individual from participating in the conduct of horse racing or advising his or her employees on how to prepare a horse prior to a race. While the Board might be able to subpoena telephone records of a sanctioned individual to determine if such person was improperly in communication with his or her racing staff at the track, such an enforcement tactic is both expensive and impinges on individual civil liberties."That enforcement tactic is also ridiculous and just plain inpractical; would they subpoena the trainers’ emails and Blackberrys as well? Besides, that’s not even the point to me; just the fact that the trainers’ horses continue to run while nominally under the care of an assistant, or even a brother, as was the case with Richard Dutrow, makes the suspensions little more than a brief vacation. And the new proposed maximum of $20,000 seems like not much more of a deterrent when you’re talking about high-profile trainers like Dutrow, Pletcher, and Lake. The idea that was floated in Kentucky last year to suspend the horses, which seemed a bit comical to me at first, is making more and more sense.
1 Comment:
Further on the Derby: Think of all of the greats who never won the Derby or even started in it?! I always think first of Dr Fager, whose 1968 campaign was recently named the greatest of the 20th Century by the Thoroughbred Times- and beating out 3 Triple Crown winners plus 3 other immortals to get the nod! The ol' master, Johnny Nerud, still alive and kickin' at 93, knew enough not to rush this colt into the starting gate at Churchill Downs, and his patience, and that of William McKnight, "Mr. 3M Scotch Tape", paid off with the runner of a lifetime- and of a century! I agree with Walter pretty much on the Derby- too much of any one race only takes away from the other historic stakes races run all over the country. For example, the Santa Anita Handicap, the nation's first $100 grand stakes race back in the '30's, is still being run at one of the nation's most beautiful and historic racetracks. This prestigious stakes race does not receive a fraction of the hype and publicity it deserves, except among horsemen.The Derby became the Derby mainly through the promotional genius of Col Matt Winn, longtime Churchill Downs impresario. Other stakes races at other racetracks could do it, too.
Post a Comment