Derby Trail Forums - No prying eyes at a private training center

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- - No prying eyes at a private training center (http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19721)

Other than that I think it's a great idea to let everybody and anybody into the backstretch.

What they really need to do to make it more people friendly is get rid of all those damn horses. They're a big pain in the ass anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linny

There is no reason to have unfettered access. Cannon Shell's points about danger say enough. It could be very easy to "hit" a horse or for someone with a grudge to plant some sort of illegal substance in a trainers barn or office. Barns like those at Saratoga are completely open and trainers should not have to hire guards to be sure that no one decides to go pat the pretty one, not knowing that he eats human fingers like carrots.
There is at least the assumption that if you are licensed that you at least know some of the basic rules of the backstretch, like don't march into the shedrow univited, don't ever touch a horse unless you've gotten permission etc. Don't approach if the vet is in the shedrow etc...
If you are a horseplayer who has over time amassed some connections who are willing to leave your name at the gate, you are assumed to know the rules and abide by them. OTOH, Joe Schmoe and his wife and 3 kids don't know how to act and could easily get hurt or be a general PITA.
In the morning, trainers are training horses. They are saddling them and checking wraps and watching the move out and are generally busy. They don't need a family of 5 asking them if they can pet the horses.
I have full access at NYRA but rarely use it. Unless I've called a trainer ahead of time or asked for permission to visit. I would expect the same courtesy if a trainer was planning on visiting MY office.

I ride show horses at a barn with a lesson program. They have novices and parents around all the time. All boarders/experienced riders are expected to help keep liability to a minimum by using caution with strangers in the barn. Horses can be volitile, even old pro school horses or show horses.

I do think that it is nice to get to see workouts and get a backstage peek. I don't know why at Saratoga, instead of getting so strict, they didn't just create a section near the clockers stand at Oklahoma for fans. No barn access, just ability to see training. A small roped off area up the stretch from the stand would be fine.

As for biancone, I'm not sure how they can keep him from training on property which he owns.

Exactly, when I was on the backstretch at Toga at Chuck's area, I was sitting there chatting up a storm with Elite Squarden and Jimmy Baker(?) and all of a sudden, HEADS UP!!! HORSE IS COMING, crazy horse got loose from Leah's G's barn and it was pretty hilarious as I really didn't know what to expect. I had my ass plastered on the barn wall.

I'm all for private training centers, there are alot of advantages I could see for a trainer - it's quieter, more relaxed, you can turn horses out in grass pens, biosecurity is better, you can create grass gallops, do more with the horse off the track to keep it relaxed and concentrate on it's training. Safer than working on a crowded track in the morning, with experienced and young horses all out there together.

The constant noise and action at a track, outside their barn, can be extremely stressful for some horses. A trainer can "shut the barn down" for a few hours midday for the horses to relax, but you still have people at other barns talking and moving about, trucks moving in and out, etc.

Trainers that are going to give undetectable stuff (cobra venom, etc) have managed to do it at the track in the shedrow for decades. So having a private training center isn't going to change that. The horses still have to test out after their race for what can be detected, and the undetectable stuff is just that.

I'll be interested in seeing how the authorities deal with any horse that suddenly appears ready to race in Biancone's assistant trainers track barn. Biancone can't be prevented from training at his own facility, and apparently he has one owner willing to purchase his ability to do so.

If no one is hurt, it's hilarious seeing folks chase a crazy beast. When experienced horsemen like Don Rice get killed or Jeff Lukas get damaged for life, no one is laughing. Race horses hurt alot of people every year. I know of grooms, hot walkers and others with scars to prove it. It is simply not a safe place for those who are not experienced. It's dangerous enough for those who belong there.

I agree about training centers. Allowing horse turn out time and giving them a chance to be ridden out apart from training is good for them. Many horses at Fair Hill get hacked out in the woods or jogged down paths etc. Just varying the routine can freshen them up.

I wouldn't be surprised if my mom and dad both left me unsupervised around the barn when I was a little kid.

But hey, sometimes I wonder why I'm the only one ever jogging on the busy roads with all these sh!t drivers down here.

If you want to talk about something that is scary and dangerous - try walking around New York City in the day when it's really busy. It makes the backside of a racetrack feel like the safest place on earth.

At least you got to see David Morse.