Norman gets six-month suspension
 

Now that is really shocking. More so than Mitchell

Wow, I just can't believe it, lol. I'm completely stunned.:rolleyes:

Oracle,

I thought this guy was a straight hay and oats guy.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Hope He Has Company
 

May All These Damn Miracle Working Trainers Join This Guy In The Big House Before They Ruin The Sport Altogether

This guy is the number one cant buy from, I dont think I can think of anyone worse off the top of my head

Cole Norman 6 month Vacation
 

Well it looks like my boy will miss the Oaklawn meet. I wonder who train in his name while he's gone? When he broke his neck 2 years ago my friend got to work for him some maybe he'll get a chance again this time.

Assmussen and Norman are planning a cruise together towards the end of the month. After that they are supposed to go skiing in Switzerland. Have yet to figure out what to do with the other 5 months theyll be spending together.

hey can someone in the business tell me how much this actually hurts the trainer.
does Asmussen lose that much money(or clients) b/c his horses are running in the name of Blasi?
and does it really matter from a handicapping perspective.
as I wagerer, i really dont care if it lists Asmussen, Blasi or whoever as the trainer.
i know its an Asmussen horse so thats all that matters.
actually got into an argument with some dude at SAM last weekend b/c he was trying to tell me Blasi was not as good or experienced as Asmussen.
lol, I about fell out of my chair.
am I off the mark here?
thanks



Repent

It costs the trainer a ton of cash when they get a 6 month suspension. They don't get any of the purse money. I always figured that the assistat trainer would secretly give them the money, but they can't do that. If they got caught, they could lose their license. You don't want to mess with a racing board when it comes to these types of things because I have been told that they can check bank records and that type of thing. I don't think the trainer is supposed to have any contact with the barn. The racing board can check phone records and that type of thing.

With regard to your question about whether the suspension will effect the performance of a barn, it can have a big effect. I think it depends alot on how hands on the head trainer is in the first place. If he is very hands on, then it can have a big effect. Sometimes the assitant is as good as the head trainer, but often times he is not.

I think that Asmussen's absence has made a big difference in terms of the performmance of first-time starters. Blasi is only winning at a 9% clip with first-timers. I think Asmussen was at around 20%.

U not Serious are U
 

Common he can pay Assmusen legaly by saying he did work for him on the side away from the track and cut him a check. Phone records?? Its not aginst policy to talk to someone that is suspended. Lets see he can mow my lawn for 20K a week, everyone sees what I am getting at. Plus how do you think Meche end up on Appealing Zophie??

They can't get away with stuff like that. If any money exchanged hands between the trainer and the assistant, they would both be in trouble. You can't say he mowed my lawn for $20k. That wouldn't go over.

I believe the terms of these suspensions are that you are to have no contact with anyone from the barn including the assistant.

Blasi is pretty good repent. I think the operation runs almost exactly like it did before, very little change. I think you are on point, really not much difference at all. He knows the program, he knows how they do things, and very little has changed.

I think in this case the Assistant is as good as the Trainer.

All I have to say is "About time.":D

Anyone that thinks that Assmussen's 6 month suspension has hurt him is dead wrong. He has actually picked up business, Steve is at all the sales, has more time to call clients and develop new ones like Beverly Lewis. If you believe that he has not been in contact with his assistants you are completely kidding yourself. And if you believe that any state racing commission is tracking financial records or phone calls then you are really kidding yourself. Assmussen's assistants train the divisions anyway, the guy can only be in one place at a time.

didn't a ceo of a company just get fired and charged with criminal acts due to bugging telephones?
all they can do is suspend these guys. they don't have the legal right to track phone calls and finances. they have no right to subpoena any of that stuff. it's horse racing, not the fbi. they can limit access to property under their control, that's about it.

They may have the right to do some investigating but they wont. Usually comes down to the budgets are too small and the investigators aren't that bright or ambitious. Biggest problem is that owners dont seem to care about integrity any more. These guys know that they can push the envelope and not get burned too bad because the owners will stick with them. I will guarantee that people who post on this board care far more about integrity in regard to illegal medication than most big owners. Example #1 Beverly Lewis. Fires Lukas hires Blasi/Assmussen. I mean there was not one other trainer out there that could have taken those horses? She had to go with a guy with 2 6 month suspensions? I understand that the call was made by an "advisor" but she has ultimate responsibility. There are some owners out there that do care but so many don't so ......

A horse racing board is part of the government. They have the right to subpoena phone records and bank records. I'm not saying that they will do it, but they can do it if they want to. A friend of mine was on the CHRB for a long time. This guy also happens to be a lawyer. He was the one who told me that they can do this.

If you read any of the articles about trainers who get caught with positives, you probably know that once you get caught with a positive, they search your barn, they search your car, I think I read that they even searched a guy's house. They can pretty much do whatever they want.