Originally Posted by GenuineRisk (Post 972677)

How has Asmussen (and others like him) caused other people to lose their livelihoods?

I am no fan of him, but other than potentially hiring undocumented workers (and allegedly faking papers for them), there's nothing in there that is illegal, and if a trainer should step away from the Derby for hiring undocumented workers, I suspect there would be many more than just Asmussen.

Until the allegations are proved, he's innocent in the eyes of the law. It's not his job to give racing a good image; it's his job to win races for his clients. If the owners are concerned about how things look, they are free to move their horses (and personally, I think Zayat's moving his had more to do with Blasi calling him a name, that meanie! The wealthy are very sensitive and their feelings get hurt easily. We must protect them at all costs from the cold, cruel world). If racing fans should be angry at anyone, it should be at the owners who stayed with him, who clearly care more about winning races than how racing looks to Joe Q Public who doesn't follow the sport. I would wager money (and probably more successfully than I have in the Derby the last few years) that Asmussen doesn't feel he's done anything wrong. If you were accused of something you felt was untrue at your job, would you voluntarily give up your livelihood to make your field of work "look better"? Or would you say, "eff you, prove it first"?

Again, I'm not a fan of his work, as they say, but at this point, demanding he step back from training his Derby/Oaks horses smacks of Polytrack- knee-jerk responding. Horse racing has a lotta image problems (the biggest, and most insurmountable probably being modern US society infantilizing animals that we don't like to eat), but Asmussen stepping down isn't going to do step one towards actually addressing any of them.

Originally Posted by Danzig (Post 972678)

it is because of the tape, the report...and the investigations being conducted right now by nyra and kentucky. i'm sorry you think it's only about the tape, and not what the tape revealed.


and you want to fix the system. well, then let's start right now, with asmussen being ruled off the track while two racing entities conduct thorough investigations into very serious allegations.

Originally Posted by Jay Frederick (Post 972690)

What did the tape reveal other than Scott Blasi swears a lot?.

Originally Posted by Jay Frederick (Post 972690)

You can't deny someone a livelihood because you don't like them. Doesn't work that way on the real world.

Originally Posted by Jay Frederick (Post 972692)

Based on what we saw in the tape it is impossible to know the context of the buzzer talk..

Originally Posted by Jay Frederick (Post 972692)

Paula Deen is an apples to oranges comparison.

Originally Posted by DaTruth (Post 972714)

I suppose that Baffert should turn his Derby prospects over to other trainers now in anticipation that PETA may have a press conference about the thyroxine issue during Derby week. Maybe PETA can supply a list of approved trainers.

Originally Posted by DaTruth (Post 972714)

Baffert was also mentioned in the NYT article about the PETA video.



I suppose that Baffert should turn his Derby prospects over to other trainers now in anticipation that PETA may have a press conference about the thyroxine issue during Derby week. Maybe PETA can supply a list of approved trainers.

Originally Posted by parsixfarms (Post 972722)

That Baffert was generally given a pass by the CHRB and the racing media is not a positive reflection on the sport or those who cover it.

Originally Posted by Danzig (Post 972727)

is the chrb investigating baffert for animal cruelty?

Originally Posted by Jay Frederick (Post 972765)

So much for being consistent.

Originally Posted by Danzig (Post 972727)

is the chrb investigating baffert for animal cruelty?

Originally Posted by cmorioles (Post 972750)

Well, he did stop after seven deaths. That is better than 8, no?

Originally Posted by DaTruth (Post 972771)

So you're saying that Asmussen should not enter Tapiture in the Derby under his name merely because he is under investigation by the New York and Kentucky Racing Commissions? These are investigations in response to the PETA video, It isn't like PETA is some objective news-gathering organization.

It seems to me that the ball is in the Kentucky Racing Commission's court in regards to the Derby. If they feel that a suspension pending resolution of the investigation is warranted, they should impose one and then let the courts sort it out.

Originally Posted by Danzig (Post 972815)

'merely'? he's under investigation for serious things, not for swearing..serious enough he fired blasi, with whom he had a long history.


edit--im just repeating myself. ive covered all this. if anyone doesnt agree with me, fine. but i loathe repeating myself...so i don't think i have anything else to add.

Originally Posted by Danzig (Post 972815)

'merely'? he's under investigation for serious things, not for swearing..serious enough he fired blasi, with whom he had a long history.


edit--im just repeating myself. ive covered all this. if anyone doesnt agree with me, fine. but i loathe repeating myself...so i don't think i have anything else to add.