NYSRWB Installs Strict Protocols for Belmont Stakes Horses
 

Horses will be stalled in a Belmont stakes barn beginning June 6, subjected to out-of-competition blood testing and be closely monitored to ensure safety and integrity.

Read on: Racing and Wagering Board Installs Strict Protocols for Horses and Participants Taking Part in June 9 Belmont Stakes

So a horse must be shipped to Belmont three days before the race in order to participate? Lots of trainers ship closer to a race, and sometimes even the morning of a given race.

DRF's Jay Privman (@DRFPrivman) tweets:

They were required to be on the Churchill grounds I believe the same 3 days prior to the Kentucky Derby, I don't recall anyone complaining then.

The point is that NY is changing the rules late in the game.

This feels like John Sabini, the head of the Racing and Wagering Board is trying to show Cuomo he has the stuff to be the new president of NYRA.

Really? I'd never heard that.

The difference there is that lots of trainers are based on places like New York or Maryland where shipping from places like Fair Hill even the day of a race is pretty commonplace.

And not telling people who might need to know (i.e., Matz) about it.

I know I'll sleep better.

Seriously, rather than putting all these additional rules in place, they ought to enforce the rules they already have on the books. My understanding is that on Saturday, a horse was announced all day (during changes and on scroll) as running with an aluminum pad on, showed up at the paddock without that footwear, and was nevertheless allowed to run.

I guess I have missed the protocol as to the notice the State Racing and Wagering Board has to give participants in a race. Please enlighten me what the deadline is.

Actually, the point is that the Racing and Wagering Board is taking actions not out of the actual concerns they say, but in reaction to all that has happened with NYRA. But complaining about horses being on the grounds 3 days out when they have given 10 days notice is just looking for something to complain about IMO.

I was just envisioning this happening in 2004 and Smarty Jones and John Servis being denied entry to the Belmont grounds because they shipped up from Philly on the Thursday before the race, police escort and all.

John Sabini is auditioning for his next job (which won't be NYRA President) in the horse business, after the NYSRWB is disbanded in the fall in favor of Governor Cuomo's new gaming commission.

I'm sure there was even an iota of a chance of that happening if they announced he had to be there by Wednesday 10 days before the race. There are many concerns to have about racing, announcing that horses have to be on the grounds 3 days before a race 10 days out is not one of them.

People don't ship to Churchill from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana and other places in the Northeast on the day of the race? It is not on the other side of the Rockies from those places you know.

Not on Derby day at least.

I think was is new this year because they added AE's - if you weren't on the grounds for the draw - you were out and then the AE's could draw in, provided they were on the grounds... or something like that.

If I knew nothing about this subject and read this mandate, the first impression I would have is, "this obviously isn't the normal policy, so the rest of the time security and integrity aren't priority." I'm just sayin.

:tro:

bull chit.

God forbid someone does the right thing:rolleyes:

You're right. I should give the Governor credit for doing the right thing by getting rid of the ineffectual NYSRWB.

LOL - Matz was an international Olympic-level rider for years. He knows all about strict drug testing, rules filled with minutia, horse access limitations, quarantines, permitted medications and withdrawal times, etc. Hard to unimpress someone that's used to this sort of thing. But they've done it.

Maybe the TB world could take some lessons from those that are further ahead in the drug testing game. But I'm glad to see them do this. I'm sure they sat down with O'Neill and said, "Don't you DARE test positive and ruin our TC" :rolleyes:

While the regulations are a bit over the top this is really a non-issue for the most part.

The Wednesday mandate wasn't new. Been that way awhile.

Someone do the right thing after the pressure has been applied. It's a big roll eyes. Do it in November for the new year. These instant changes are desperation moves to appease a.ssholes.

can't believe it's taken this long to put something like this in place-but it should be for all races, not just the belmont. it's one way to keep better track of the horses and what's going on with them. certainly can't know what's going on when they aren't on the grounds.

Good idea, maybe they can bunk a pony with them and see if the horse will give up some secrets.

Joe Drape strikes again:

Tougher Drug Rules Ordered at Belmont, With Extra Scrutiny on O’Neill

I've never been a big O'Neil fan but I think his appoach to all of this scrutiny and extra standards being put in place has been really outstanding.

Certain other trainers would have been whining to everyone about being a victim.

You got that right, babe. ;)

There were general detention barns for 5 years -- not a stakes-specific detention barn -- whose use ended after the Belmont meet in July 2010.

There is a stakes horse barn at Saratoga for ship-ins.

If there wasn't so much scrutiny on O'neill maybe there'd be a conspiracy theory about these new rules being put in place and Alpha conveniently coming down with a fever and scratching ;p

How else is Dougie going to respond to the fact that NY wants to make sure that if this horse wins the TC that there is no bad test, given his track record and all. Most other trainers dont have as many infractions as Doug, besides the obvious guys.

I agree but I think his disposition is being helped by the fact he thinks he has the best horse.

DRF|Belmont Stakes 2012: Security barn irks trainers

ELMONT, N.Y. – The requirement that all horses in the Belmont Stakes reside in a detention barn for 72 hours before the race has angered a number of trainers in the race who say that those staffing the barn lack necessary horse sense and that the atmosphere is not conducive to horses performing at their optimum.

The latest contretemps occurred Wednesday afternoon, when the security staff at the barn told Doug O’Neill, trainer of I’ll Have Another, and Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags, that they could not cook their oats before feeding their horses. O’Neill, who has outwardly maintained an even keel over all the hoops he has been required to jump through leading up to this race – no nasal strip for his horse, moving to the security barn, exhaustive requirements for licensing for his personnel – finally had enough and threatened to pull his horse from the race, pointing out that I’ll Have Another needs his oats cooked to avoid colic.

Minutes later, permission was granted to cook oats, so Oatgate was averted.

“They yell about Lasix and things like that, but the biggest problem is uniformity,” Matz said Thursday morning. “Why can’t we have the same rules for the Triple Crown races? They didn’t have this for the Derby. They didn’t have this for the Preakness. Why are they making a big deal here?”

What a d'bag Sabini came off as on ATR yesterday. Steve, great job expressing some common sense and asking some tough questions which made Sabini run behind the cloak of he can't comment due to pending investigations.

Watchmaker, of all people, summed this ridiculousness up well the other day.

I'm sure they'll make up for it with a Doug O'Neill bobblehead. Hipster approved.