Terry Finley, the president of West Point Thoroughbreds, the horse racing partnership that owns Irish Smoke, said that he was willing to let Biancone's appeal run its course and that he did not feel pressure to remove Irish Smoke from Biancone's barn prior to the settlement.
"I'll be honest with you, I didn't appreciate a lot of people in this industry crucifying the guy before he had his day in court," said Finley, a former Army captain. "That drove me nuts. I heard all the talk and innuendo. But he didn't have his shot at due process, and no matter what anyone says, this is still America."
Biancone, a native of France, trains for many powerful clients, including the principals behind Coolmore Stud, the multinational racing and breeding operation that owns La Traviata. A spokesman for Coolmore, Richard Henry, said the group had not determined who would train the Biancone horses after the Breeders' Cup.
Carl Lizza, the owner of Cosmonaut under the stable name Flying Zee Stables, said that he had not determined who will train the four Flying Zee horses currently stabled with Biancone. But he said he would not hesitate to give Biancone horses when the trainer is able to operate a stable again.
"I don't know what he did wrong," said Lizza, who called Biancone "one of the 10 best horsemen" in the U.S. "From what I read in the papers, it was just possession. He wasn't using it. Unless something else comes out, yes, of course I'll give him horses."
Still think the owners aren't the problem in this game?
Hey Terry...facts and innuendo are not the same thing...
Hey Carl...why dont you give your horses to one of the other "nine" best horseman who dont have that pesky little Cobra Venom "possesion" violation on their looooong rap sheet? What was he doing with it? Recreational use?
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