Hollendorfer barred from Stronach tracks

[ElPrado]

4 breakdowns this meeting at Santa Anita, more in San Francisco, and the last one was a classic dump job. He has been told to remove all horses and equipment from Stronach tracks. He saw it coming. He is opening a stable in NY.

[Benny]

Friday, CNN posted a report that named Hollendorfer as a trainer “under scrutiny” by Santa Anita after three of his horses had lost their lives at the meet since it opened for the season Dec. 26. Those losses included the most prominent horse of all of Santa Anita’s rash of breakdowns this winter and spring, Battle of Midway (Smart Strike), the 2017 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner.

The CNN report said that Hollendorfer had also lost two horses at Golden Gate Fields since December, and said he had been sanctioned 19 times by the CHRB since 2006 “for over-medication or use of illicit medications on horses.”



http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com...-track-breeze/

[Rudeboyelvis]

So this is the new narrative. Never the track, now it's the trainers fault. Stronach couldn't be a bigger PoS.

Welcome to New York, Jerry

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

GET THE BREEDER'S CUP OUT OF CALIFORNIA! before any more damage is done to the sport!

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by Rudeboyelvis

So this is the new narrative. Never the track, now it's the trainers fault. Stronach couldn't be a bigger PoS.

Welcome to New York, Jerry

They are doing their best to destroy the sport!

[Benny]

Originally Posted by Rudeboyelvis

So this is the new narrative. Never the track, now it's the trainers fault. Stronach couldn't be a bigger PoS.

Welcome to New York, Jerry

it's most likely his daughhters doing as she is running things, and has an ongoing battle with pops. in court

will want to hear Hammers take on it .

[jnunan4759]

Good Lord. He's run like 33,000 horses. He's in the HOF. Do people really think trainers want to see any of their horses break down ? Do they just think they are so callous. It's not that way. These guys love their horses.

[Kasept]

From Doc Allred, Chairman and Owner of Los Alamitos Race Course: “Los Alamitos will gladly provide stalls to Jerry Hollendorfer, a Hall of Fame trainer and an unparalleled horseman. Unless forbidden by the CHRB, we intend to permit entries from Hollendorfer. We do not feel Hollendorfer should be a scapegoat for a problem which derives from a number of factors.”

[Kasept]

Hollendorfer to Steve Anderson: https://www.drf.com/news/hollendorfe...l-injury?type=

“I’m trying to work out a plan now,” Hollendorfer said in a telephone interview. “The only thing I have to say is every time anyone loses a horse, the whole backstretch loses. That’s the way everyone feels. I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years, and I’ve started more than 33,500 horses that have been under my care in my career. I haven’t, in my opinion, had that many problems.

“I’ve never been suspended or anything like that. I have a lot of employees that I want to take care of and who have families that depend me. I’m training over 100 horses right now. Santa Anita didn’t want me stay on the grounds. My opinion was that was a premature thing to do. I thought it was extreme. Now I have to step away for a while.”

[Kasept]

Saturday's episode with Hollendorfer, preceded by The Stronach Group's orchestrated public relations/character assassination Friday on CNN, is a new low in deflection and blame-avoidance.

The most disheartening aspect of the 'debate' and contorted 'solutions' coming from this disastrous Santa Anita season, is the wholly amoral posture of purported advocates of 'positive change' who are relying on distorted sensationalism while conveniently ignoring The Stronach Group's mismanagement which created the conditions for the problems.

[knickslions2]

Man is it too late to move Breeders Cup? No way should be at that track

[ShadowRoll]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Saturday's episode with Hollendorfer, preceded by The Stronach Group's orchestrated public relations/character assassination Friday on CNN, is a new low in deflection and blame-avoidance.

The most disheartening aspect of the 'debate' and contorted 'solutions' coming from this disastrous Santa Anita season, is the wholly amoral posture of purported advocates of 'positive change' who are relying on distorted sensationalism while conveniently ignoring The Stronach Group's mismanagement which created the conditions for the problems.

Stronach even brought in a consultant (PETA) on distorted sensationalism.

[JBJake]

Well at least now there is a motive for the potentially doctored Songbird/Beholder photo. Maybe Mr. H was not in good graces back then? I wonder what King J was doing that nobody knows about except the racing officials.

[Dahoss]

While I think what they have done to him is appalling...this is really dumb.

He’s a scapegoat here. Del Mar all but admitted they don’t think the potential backlash is worth it. My guess is NYRA thought the same thing.

[Kasept]

Hollendorfer files suit against Del Mar
Steve Andersen
Jul 16, 2019

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer filed a complaint in San Diego superior court earlier this week in an effort to operate a stable at the Del Mar summer meeting that begins on Wednesday.

Hollendorfer was not given stalls by Del Mar officials last week after the track and trainer held a series of meetings to discuss his participation. Del Mar’s decision occurred three weeks after Santa Anita officials told Hollendorfer to vacate his stalls on the track’s backstretch after a fourth horse in his care at that track suffered a fatal injury in training or racing since late December.

Hollendorfer relocated his stable to Los Alamitos, where he operated without impediment during the track’s three-week meeting that ended on Sunday. After he was denied stalls by Del Mar, Hollendorfer’s longtime assistant, Dan Ward, applied for stalls. Ward has four starters on Wednesday and Thursday at Del Mar.

The court action seeks a temporary restraining order, as early as this week, preventing the racetrack from denying Hollendorfer stall space or the ability to submit entries.

The California Thoroughbred Trainers association, of which Hollendorfer is a member, is a party in the lawsuit against the racetrack. Hollendorfer has been represented by attorney Drew Couto, while Darrell Vienna is representing the CTT in the case.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by JBJake

Well at least now there is a motive for the potentially doctored Songbird/Beholder photo. Maybe Mr. H was not in good graces back then? I wonder what King J was doing that nobody knows about except the racing officials.

THERE WAS NOT A DOCTORED PHOTO. STOP IT.

For God's sake. There's enough stupid in this world without adding to it.

[JBJake]

You missed the sarchasm in the post....the real point was is there something King J was doing that the general population does not know about.

I think it is ridiculous what they are doing to him if there isn't anything else.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by JBJake

You missed the sarchasm in the post....the real point was is there something King J was doing that the general population does not know about.

I think it is ridiculous what they are doing to him if there isn't anything else.

*sigh* There are people that take it to heart and say stuff like that in here. Gotta be a touch more obvious.

I heard someone say there was more to it than the public knows, but they were posting under their real name so if there was anything, it's not like they're gonna put it out there. Of course, this is the internet and anybody can claim anything. At least with JH suing, they'll have to make something public or back down. We gotta have due process.

[Kasept]

@DRFPrivman (1:25p PT): Update to Hollendorfer civil suit story... The public affairs office at the San Diego County Superior Court informed me that the hearing seeking the temporary restraining order will be held Thursday morning at 8:30 Pacific, in downtown San Diego.

[Kasept]

Judge indicates he will grant injunction for Hollendorfer
Jay Privman
Jul 25, 2019

A San Diego County Superior Court Judge tentatively has ruled in favor of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in the Hall of Famer’s quest to receive a temporary injunction against Del Mar, which has prevented Hollendorfer from running horses at the current meeting, which began July 17.

Judge Ronald F. Frazier’s tentative ruling, posted Thursday, said the request from Hollendorfer and co-plaintiff California Thoroughbred Trainers for a preliminary injunction would be granted with modification.

All parties are due in Frazier’s court on Friday morning in downtown San Diego to make final arguments before Frazier makes his final ruling on the matter. The tentative ruling is an indication of where the judge is at pending those final arguments.

Frazier’s tentative ruling says, “plaintiffs have submitted sufficient evidence for the court to conclude Mr. Hollendorfer will suffer irreparable harm if an injunction is not issued.”

Hollendorfer asked for the injunction, claiming, among other things, that the Del Mar did not follow terms spelled out in the contract between the track and horsemen, which provides for arbitration in a dispute such as this.

Hollendorfer’s travails began on June 22, when he was evicted from Santa Anita after a horse in his care who had been approved to work suffered a fatal injury, the fourth for a horse trained by Hollendorfer since the Santa Anita meeting began on Dec. 26.

Hollendorfer relocated his horses to Los Alamitos, which accommodated him, and at which he raced without incident.

Earlier this month, Del Mar informed Hollendorfer that he would not be allowed to race at the meeting. The track did grant stalls to Hollendorfer’s assistant Dan Ward, who has had runners during the meet.

Santa Anita is owned by The Stronach Group, which evicted Hollendorfer from all its properties, including Golden Gate Fields in Northern California.

Frazier’s tentative ruling notes that “Hollendorfer asserts that since Defendant Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s likely denial of his entries was first reported in the media, he has lost approximately 40 additional horses from his stable.”

“There is not sufficient evidence for the court to conclude Del Mar TC will suffer any harm by issuance of this injunction,” Frazier wrote. “Plaintiffs have also submitted sufficient evidence for the court to conclude they are likely to prevail on the merits of their claims.”

Del Mar is a co-defendant in the case with the 22nd Agricultural District Association, on whose land the track sits.

Frazier said that Hollendorfer does not have the right to train merely because he has a valid license, but – citing a 1970 case against Hollywood Park -- said Del Mar “does not, however, have the authority to arbitrarily exclude a licensee from its track, such that it amounts to preventing the licensee from pursuing his or her calling.”

“The court finds both the Race Meet Agreement and the Stall Application prohibit Del Mar from refusing Mr. Hollendorfer’s application and/or entry into a race in an arbitrary and capricious manner,” Frazier wrote.

“The Race Meet Agreement, the Stall Application, and the relevant legal authorities all support the same conclusion – Del Mar TC is not permitted to arbitrarily deny Mr. Hollendorfer’s stall application, nor arbitrarily refuse him entry to a race. Despite this, there is evidence Del Mar TC did indeed arbitrarily deny Mr. Hollendorfer’s stall application without first providing him fair procedure. Accordingly, the court finds there is adequate evidence to conclude Plaintiffs have a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on the merits, as to their claims for declaratory relief and breach of contract.”

Frazier’s tentative ruling says Del Mar is “enjoined from denying Mr. Hollendorfer’s stall application, from refusing Mr. Hollendorfer’s entry to the Del Mar races, and from preventing Mr. Hollendorfer’s access to the fairgrounds as necessary to observe, saddle and race his horses until fair procedure can be completed, in the form of arbitration as per the Race Meet Agreement.”

Frazier set a status conference for Oct. 25, which would be less than two weeks prior to Del Mar’s fall meeting.