[Arletta]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Those are the words I'd use to describe me.

Stupid for ever trying to take time to give a real feel for what goes on.

Doug O'neill is one of the nicest, caring humans I've ever met. Not Trainers. Humans.

He's felt every gamet of emotion since this terrible accident happened. Sadness that he lost a horse that he cared about and so sorry about the way he died.

Concern for Bejarano and his family. Remorse that this accident overshadowed a great opening day at Del Mar. Doubt that he could have done a better job to avoid the tragedy.

I believe that most of the people who read these messages are good and decent people. For the few of you creatins out there. Why don't you understand that the people you speak of are humans just like anybody else.

They have kids and lives and cheating husbands and alcoholic fathers and drugged out brothers and forclosed houses and racist friends and every other GD thing you can think of. Just like the rest of the world.

Just because you bet a few bucks on their horses does not give anybody the right to think they can assail the character of a man who's put his life and soul into the sport.

Boy does the internet make people brave. Not one of you Coach Pants types would have the balls to stand face to face to me, Doug or anyone else and spew your hate. Everyone of the haters should ask themselves how they'ed feel if their lives and livelyhoods were smeared all over the blogs all day everyday. How would they hold up?

I'll keep appreciating the real fan and horse lovers out there. They are the ones who make all the hard work for guys like Doug O'neill worthwhile. For the rest of you.

Well we'll just leave you to yourselves. I can think of no better way to get even.

Vic Stauffer

Very well said Vic