Letter To The Editor: Enough Is More than enough When It Comes To Delays At The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission – Horse Racing Information

No a person in racing could quite possibly be oblivious to the disaster racing finds by itself in. Racing is picking up steam as it rolls down the exact track as the circus, yet people concerned at the regulatory degree seem to be to absence any feeling of urgency. A single would assume the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) would guide the nation for its exemplary regulation, but as an alternative it sales opportunities the country in its complacency.

Look at the case of Tremendous Steed. Owned by Michael Pressley and Steed Jackson and experienced by Larry Jones, Super Steed debuted on Oct. 25, 2018 at Keeneland. Tremendous Steed ran 2nd by a head to the Steve Asmussen-educated Boldor. A couple of days following the race, a steward informed Jones that he could not enter Tremendous Steed in an additional maiden race. What was implied was that Boldor analyzed beneficial and a disqualification was coming, transferring up Super Steed for the get.

Super Steed ran following in an allowance and ongoing to race until finally his retirement on Aug. 11, 2019. To that place, there had not been a stewards’ listening to on the Boldor favourable. On Nov. 30, 2019 – 13 months right after the infraction and a few months immediately after Tremendous Steed retired – a listening to was ultimately held. A ruling was issued which disqualified Boldor and gave a 60-working day suspension and $2,500 great to Asmussen.

Asmussen appealed and the circumstance continues to this day – three a long time and four months right after the alleged infraction. Amazingly, the case designed news last week when the KHRC agreed to an extension of time asked for by the hearing officer who was to make a suggestion to the fee. A person would think that the hearing officer should’ve been equipped to attain a suggestion in 40 months. In the meantime, Pressley and Steed have not been paid out the winner’s purse and have not experienced the use of the revenue which would look rightfully theirs.

Ironically, Pressley and Steed may’ve been victims in a further case involving a sequence of languishing drug positives. In this occasion, it will become so convoluted it really is difficult to figure out who all the victims could be.

Coach Joe Sharp had a rash of levamisole positives in late 2019 and early 2020, 5 of them in Kentucky. Sharp wouldn’t have a listening to right before the stewards till a year later on, on Jan. 21, 2021. In the meantime, some of his entrepreneurs went forward and took their medication, waiving their legal rights to a break up sample and official hearing and their horses had been disqualified. One of those people horses was Blackberry Wine.

Blackberry Wine would go on to defeat the Pressley & Steed colt Fully Jimbo in a N1WX allowance at Reasonable Grounds on Dec. 13, 2020.

Rapid forward 13 months afterwards to Jan. 14, 2022, and the KHRC dismissed Sharp’s positives because of to levamisole not basically being 1 of their classified medication.  In other terms – unbelievably — levamisole was not unlawful.  By all rights, the KHRC should reverse the stewards’ selections on Blackberry Wine and other people who’d taken disqualifications.  Which is where by matters get seriously sophisticated, for the reason that that would make Blackberry Wine ineligible for the allowance wherever he beat Thoroughly Jimbo, and so forth and so on, with Blackberry Wine and all the other influenced horses.

We also have the ongoing circumstance of Medina Spirit and Bob Baffert. Soon after 10 months we lastly have a stewards’ ruling. Nonetheless a further owner hasn’t experienced the use of what has been ruled his rightful purse, and in this scenario, it can be $1.2 million (the operator was presumably paid out the runner-up purse). Baffert’s attorney has declared that they will attraction, so we’ll see how numerous weeks or months the scenario continues to drag as it heads to the KHRC.

Allow us also not ignore the Wesley Ward/Averly Jane good from the Kentucky Juvenile S. at CD on April 28, 2021. A ruling was ultimately handed down – 9 months later – on Jan. 25, 2021, disqualifying the filly. The betting public had no idea for 9 months by means of a few races that her history may not be what it appeared in the method. Fairly a couple understandably wondered if this good was saved silent because of to the proprietor of the filly becoming Gatewood Bell, a former KHRC member and current VP of Racing at Keeneland. One more owner went nine months without the need of the use of his earnings.

It is inexcusable that the KHRC can’t attend to its company in an expedient manner. House owners are getting deprived of the use of their cash. Horses are retired to the breeding drop and their values may well be impacted. Horses are racing less than possibly the mistaken problems. Handicappers aren’t presented information they must have. If there is nearly anything in the procedures keeping the commission from doing its job in a well timed trend, and with much-necessary transparency, then one of their duties should be to modify those people procedures.

Pressley and Steed have been patient gentlemen about the Super Steed issue, but as they instructed me firmly: “Enough is more than enough.” They are taking into consideration irrespective of whether they want to use an lawyer to at last get this make any difference settled. Sad to say, the respond to could be indeed.

–Victoria Keith
Vice President of Fox Hill Farm

Editor’s notice: Trainer Larry Jones is one of the trainers for Fox Hill Farm


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