When will buzzer allegations cease?
 

Submitted a letter to the editor of the TDN, published in their Sunday edition. When will it stop? How can it stop?

http://www.dubairacenight.com/letter...ll-a-question/

We all know about the videos from PETA, the jocularity about buzzers (electrical devices used to shock mounts), the edited discussions with theories suggesting possible mistreatment of horses.

These revelations have led to all sorts of ancillary chatter about incidents or controversies in the past – and all sorts of videos and allegations surfaced, or resurfaced, last week. The 1995 Kentucky Derby was discussed when Gary Stevens and Pat Day shared pleasantries in the gallop-out. The chatter about Sole Power in the winner’s enclosure at Royal Ascot hit the presses, and is now under investigation by the British Horseracing Authority. Calvin Borel’s ride on Super Saver in the 2010 Kentucky Derby was mentioned by the New York Times as a suspect ride with a potential machine used, and maybe more.

Within seconds of the Dubai World Cup finishing, I received tweets claiming a device was exchanged when Silvestre DeSousa was congratulated by Mickael Barzalona on the gallop-out. Was there anything?

Does it matter if the answer is “no” when people want to believe there was, regardless? Allegations such as these are now viral.

The problem is that everyone is deemed guilty without respect to proof, yielding a status quo that is an automatic no-win gambit.

What could be absolute congratulations becomes absolute guilt. Did Stevens hand a device to Pat Day in 1995? Was Borel shocking his mount in 2010? Were DeSousa and Barzalona exchanging anything more than a fist-bump, or a high-five? There is nothing more than grainy video of what appears to be a post-race handoff of some kind, of what could be anything, from the King’s Stand.

If participants in the game are deemed guilty within seconds by tweeters – assumed as judge, jury, and executioner in a court of one with a keyboard and a wifi connection – why do we keep supplying reasons to think bad of the game? These people care about the sport to be watching the races in the first place, yet jump to suggestive conclusions at the first sign, or ghost, of impropriety. Perception has become a near-impossibly proven reality.

Racing associations must act. Jockeys cannot greet connections in the parade ring, they cannot shake hands. Jockeys cannot touch each other, or anyone, until they weigh-out. One registered person (a trainer or licensed assistant) can assist with undoing the tack (pre-race saddling is relatively a nonissue as done outside the presence of the jockey). Assistant starters/stall handlers should wear numbers to identify them to officials (as is done in Malaysia, for example). Lead ponies and outriders must be scrutinized.

The stewarding of the race must be expanded to the stewarding of the actions of on-track participants on race day. Metal detectors leaving the weighing room, perhaps?

There is plenty of time for collective celebrations after the raceday: the cocking of a whip, punching the air, the windmill salute – none will eliminate the post-race character of a sensational performance. The public deserves a complete focus on integrity, and the horsepeople deserve it as well. At this point, everyone in the game is considered guilty of pretty much everything at the raising of a question pointed in one’s direction.

As an industry, we invite all of this with absurdly lackadaisical standards, a statement that even applies to the jurisdictions believed to be hardliners.

If we do not have integrity to the utmost we will have the utmost of nothing.

Well articulated on speech, thoughts, and feelings. Agree with you completely. Thanks pat.

Simple. It will never cease.

Allegations will cease when the use of buzzers ceases. Lifetime ban for first offense, end of story.

:tro:

seems an owner flung out buzzer allegations just last summer....people are sore losers. there's no way they chose incorrectly, so obviously something nefarious caused their loss.

1999 Arkansas derby DQ.

What ever happened to Patin ?


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1...on-billy-patin

Think he got five years then returned to riding.

You are correct. When I started following horse racing in 2004, he was at Ellis Park for a summer. Got the lowdown about him from a couple of older gentlemen at the track.

I'm pretty sure he is currently riding on the Louisiana circuit.

:tro:
That's the answer. Of all of the damning footage in the PETA video was the smug, pompous, discourse between Stevens and Lukas regarding the use of these things, as if there is utter and complete disregard for the fact that people actually wager money on the outcomes of these races - was by far the worse in my opinion.
They joke and carry on about it as though it's all about collecting a check - how that is done, regardless of the manner in which it negatively impacts the health of the sport, is not even on their collective radar.

This is not an indictment of either man, more the culture they exist in.

I guess the horse racing industry in general perceives it is a two edged sword - having to admit it goes on is the first step in correcting it, and they have thus far been unable or unwilling to take that step.

Richard Strauss got a lengthy suspension in the mid 80s for getting caught with a buzzer at Sportsmans. He tried to petition for re-instatement around 2000 but was denied. I think he died a few years later.

I agree with the earlier comment. Allegations will cease when their use ceases. The buzzer allegations were definitely the most damaging allegations thrown out by PETA.

Are you trying to get a racing executive job or are you just trolling?

I guess I'm in the minority, but I viewed it as two racetrackers reminiscing over the "good ole days" at Ruidoso and laughing about how rampant those devices were used back then.

Total different ball of wax had they been talking/laughing about (for example) the 2013 Gulfstream meet, imo. Then, I'd be alarmed. Hell, I wouldn't drop another dime into the windows ever again.

I picked up this sport in 2004 with knowledge of some of the "cliches" attached to it. All boils down to how much policing the "powers-that-be" want to implement.

Watch the "crosses" that Melancon was throwing on Jump Jump right before Albarado's horse goes by him in the 12th at Fairgrounds on Saturday. I'm not saying he had a buzzer on his wrist in this particular race, but that's how jocks hit a horse with one.

I took it this way too, kind of like when the jockeys speak of the rough riding growing up on fair circuits.

how about some of the cool terms they used to use / still use.
battery Boy comes to mind. he's pluggin him in today. he's got the buzza

not quite sure what this is supposed to mean.

My father trained at lower-level tracks in the 1970's and 1980's, he told me "about 8 or 9 out of the 40 jocks" would use a buzzer. He said most of them were funny about how they'd carry it.

He had a "machine horse" who he thought benefited from it...he said the jockey who rode his machine horse would have the buzzer handed to him by a pony girl in the post parade.

The craziest buzzer story he had: One time, before a race, the field was loaded into the gate. Once everyone was in, they had basically a sting setup where they asked riders to dismount so they could search them.

One of the jockeys who was carrying a buzzer, instead of dismounting, he zapped his horse, and the horse busted through the gate with him. He was able to get rid of the buzzer, but at the risk of great danger to himself.

Was told recently by one jockey that, when turning for home at a track in the US, it was like you were in a beehive.

Is that because cheating only happens in the US?

yep, just like drugs only given here.