Blasi fined...

[ELA]

Maybe it's just me, however I don't see this as a big deal. Simple mistake. The stewards, horse identifier, or whoever checks lip tatoos, markings, etc. if I am not mistaken. There is a series of checks and balances for this. While it's not a very common mistake, you are talking about an operation that about 2000 horses a year in probably about 20 different venues.

Eric

[Buffymommy]

AND CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG:

But isn't the groom the one who really gets the horse and brings it out to the paddock area to be saddled? I swear most of the trainers don't see the horse until it gets to the paddock to be saddled. Now I know in the big races the trainer walks with the horse over to the paddock, but this was a $23,000 claimer and not a million dollar stakes race.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Buffymommy

AND CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG:

But isn't the groom the one who really gets the horse and brings it out to the paddock area to be saddled? I swear most of the trainers don't see the horse until it gets to the paddock to be saddled. Now I know in the big races the trainer walks with the horse over to the paddock, but this was a $23,000 claimer and not a million dollar stakes race.

Yes, that is true. In some cases, the trainer may not go to the barn. He may just be waiting at the paddocak for the horse to arrive. In most cases, the trainer would probably at least stop by the barn a couple of hours earlier.

In this particular case with Blasi, we don't even know if he was in town when this happened. They probably have horses running in 6 different states. Blasi can only be in one state at a time. Since he is the listed trainer, he is the one responsible, but chances are he wasn't even there. Assuming he wasn't there, it is the fault of his assistant trainer at that particular track.

[KY_Sasquash]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Yes, that is true. In some cases, the trainer may not go to the barn. He may just be waiting at the paddocak for the horse to arrive. In most cases, the trainer would probably at least stop by the barn a couple of hours earlier.

In this particular case with Blasi, we don't even know if he was in town when this happened. They probably have horses running in 6 different states. Blasi can only be in one state at a time. Since he is the listed trainer, he is the one responsible, but chances are he wasn't even there. Assuming he wasn't there, it is the fault of his assistant trainer at that particular track.

I bet a pick 4 this day at Churchill and I remember this happening and wondered why the horse was scratched. On the live simulcast feed via BRIS it sure looked like him standing in the stall in the paddock. I couldnt figure out why the horse was scratched and then I heard about it and put it together. Total BS and I wonder how many times theyve pulled it off prior. There's no excuse for the wrong horse being brought to the paddock-especially when they look at the horse everyday. The guy is sharp, I think he'd recognize if it were a different horse.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by KY_Sasquash

I bet a pick 4 this day at Churchill and I remember this happening and wondered why the horse was scratched. On the live simulcast feed via BRIS it sure looked like him standing in the stall in the paddock. I couldnt figure out why the horse was scratched and then I heard about it and put it together. Total BS and I wonder how many times theyve pulled it off prior. There's no excuse for the wrong horse being brought to the paddock-especially when they look at the horse everyday. The guy is sharp, I think he'd recognize if it were a different horse.

I doubt "they've ever "pulled it off prior". There is a "horse indentifier" who stands at the entrance to the receiving barn. He checks every horse before they are allowed to enter the receiving barn. He checks their tatoo idenitification number which is under their lip. There is pretty much no way to run the wrong horse. The horse identifier will catch it.

Oh geez, are you kidding me here?
Good Lord I'm so tired of the conspiracy theorists, truly. They really are a pain in the ass because they whine and cry wolf so many times that when something of a real crooked nature happens, people are desensitized to it.

They only have about a zillion horses. They screwed up, and hes being fined. The safeguard to this is the lip tatoo, which the identifier reads to insure who is who.
If anyone really thinks that Blasi wanted to run a ringer in a cheap race, they really need to get a clue about risk/reward. What does he gain? Well maybe possible embarassment and humiliation and a tongue lashing( I'm sure hes had plenty of all three). For a cheap claiming race? Does anyone truly feel that they were trying to put one over? LOL!! Were they gonna get the identifier in on it?
It happens, figure makers blow numbers, jockeys blow rides, grooms who are being paid very low wages bring over the wrong horse.
The guy got fined, and maybe it should have been a little higher, but since it was their first offense with this type of transgression(kenny mcpeek committed the same act this summer for the 2nd time in his career, and I'm sure noone ws more upset about it than kenny).
Newsflash, when a guy like Blasi has a bunch of horses in(and lake, Pletcher, Dutrow, whoever) they don't walk back to the barn after each race and walk out with the next runner. Its logistically impossible if you have a horse in back to back races. By the time the first race is over, and you talk to the jock, there is no way to sprint back to the barn and get the next one. You count on the asst or most often groom to lead the horse over.
Obviously there is a trainer responsibility issue and Blasi is ultimately responsible and was issued a fine.

[blackthroatedwind]

I can't imagine anybody realistically thought there was any funny business going on but considering the shenanigans this barn has been proven to have been involved in I would say they should get whatever is the maximum fine.

One of the biggest problems facing racing is the continued nonchalance with which people flaunt the rules and the lack of real penalties applied when these rules are broken. I would say this lacksidasical approach has a lot to do with getting us to where we are now....which is pretty much a game full of cheating whether you like it or not.

[ELA]

Originally Posted by Buffymommy

AND CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG:

But isn't the groom the one who really gets the horse and brings it out to the paddock area to be saddled? I swear most of the trainers don't see the horse until it gets to the paddock to be saddled. Now I know in the big races the trainer walks with the horse over to the paddock, but this was a $23,000 claimer and not a million dollar stakes race.

Yes. For the most part it's the groom. Sometimes I've seen an assistant walk over as well, but I would say most often the groom.

Eric

[Buffymommy]

Oh I understand that it is the trainer's responsibility. I am not saying that he should not be fined. Just stating that it could have been a new groom that doesn't know the horses that well and grabbed the wrong one, etc...

It could have been a numerous amount of things. We shouldn't judge the trainer on a simple mistake. I don't think he was doing it to run the wrong horse if that is what this thread was asking. I just think it was a mistake.

[Bystander]

Honest mistake or not, it's pretty shabby management. What's interesting to me is that when this was first reported, it was stated that the horse in question was the current favorite, and that the "wrong" horse was an unraced filly without a lip tattoo.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by ELA

Maybe it's just me, however I don't see this as a big deal. Simple mistake. The stewards, horse identifier, or whoever checks lip tatoos, markings, etc. if I am not mistaken. There is a series of checks and balances for this. While it's not a very common mistake, you are talking about an operation that about 2000 horses a year in probably about 20 different venues.

Eric

Too many " honest " mistakes in this game if you ask me and frankly considering the situation surrounding that particaluar outfit I believe they've worn out their " benefit of the doubt ".

[The Bid]

Noway the wrong horse should EVER be brought over. I understand its an honest mistake, but theres just no excuse for it.