Cold/Wind KO's Aqueduct again Wednesday

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Steve, we have spoken several times over the air and disappointed that you would refer to the discussion as blather. In fact, I was responding to the press release issued by Rick Violette, Jr.

My suggestion was to have public statements from trainers offering an explanation to the public as to what happened on the track. That does not feel utterly pointless, reactionary, or hysterical to me. All too often, the track and surface are cited as the core issue as opposed to looking at overall horse health as the first issue which is of course a more difficult issue and leads to accountability which is ultimately what we want in the game.

I agree completely with your points here which is why the call for immediate press-release meetings between the horsemen's group and the NYRA management team seems hollow.

Scott..

No offense re: blather but it's just what came out in response to the posts and in association with the assorted social media suggestions/imperatives I'm seeing.

Specific to the NYTHA statement, you seemed particularly aghast at what was hardly a deferral to the track surface given this perfectly equitable Violette quote: "There may not be one right answer, but we will use every avenue possible and examine every angle to address this situation. Everything will be on the table, from finding an independent track surface expert to come in and examine the inner track to a thorough reexamination of every procedure and protocol in place before a horse leaves the starting gate"

That could hardly be characterized as a response limited to possible track surface issues. It covers everything that can be involved from entry box to starting gate to the running of a race. Basically, everything the task force covered in 2012.

As to "public statements" from trainers, what exactly do you think they will have to say minutes after losing a client's or their own horse? Do you think that any trainer in NY or anywhere else sends out horses they deem iffy to get around that day? Until a necropsy reveals the specifics of a fatality, the trainer may very well be as in the dark as the track/state vet that watched it jog earlier in the day and gave it the OK to run. So it is absolutely pointless, reactionary and hysterical to call for trainer press conferences to 'explain' a breakdown.

You say the statements from horseman and NYRA ring hollow, but what are they supposed to say other than 'we'll keep examining every aspect of operations and try to limit possible at-risk horses from running'? They're already doing that.

Everyone needs to be as vigilant as possible from horsemen/owners, to state regulatory vets, to track surface management.. But here's the rub. No matter how well all do their jobs, horses are going to break down and die. We want as few to die as possible, but it's still going to happen. Accept it as a basic tenant of the sport, or don't. But to rashly point fingers and call for sky-is-falling emergency measures solves nothing and only adds to an atmosphere of ignorance and derision.