Pletcher BC positive; Hearing pending

[Danzig]

and people wonder why some cheat-look at the constant harping on pletcher right now. maybe he wasn't clean, and is now-if so, good for him. or maybe he was clean all along, but had better stock. or maybe he sold his soul, and then changed his mind. who knows?
but i think it's bizarre that he gets tons of grief, with what-two positives now, one for an antiboiotic, the other for a level now legal? meanwhile, the man with 13 X's more the positives is said to be the eclipse fave, and no one says a thing.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

and people wonder why some cheat-look at the constant harping on pletcher right now. maybe he wasn't clean, and is now-if so, good for him. or maybe he was clean all along, but had better stock. or maybe he sold his soul, and then changed his mind. who knows?
but i think it's bizarre that he gets tons of grief, with what-two positives now, one for an antiboiotic, the other for a level now legal? meanwhile, the man with 13 X's more the positives is said to be the eclipse fave, and no one says a thing.

STOP IT, 'Zig. This is a runaway jury, and you, like me, are now just standing in the way, impeding the rush to judgment.

[parsixfarms]

Pletcher's decline started at Saratoga in 2007, just three weeks after the KHRA announced that they had found the cobra venom in Biancone's barn. I don't know whether that's a coincidence or not, or whether the impending steroid bans may be having an impact on his barn's current performance.

As for Pletcher's numbers this year, it is clear that in New York he has started no where near the number of horses that he once did. It seems like his percentages are skewed based on a high percentage of winners that he had at tracks like Arlington this past summer; in New York, he's almost become a throwout. (Not yet plugged in to Formulator, I'd be interested to know what his stats in NY are with non-claiming starters, as my recollection is that, at Belmont Spring and Saratoga, a fairly high perecentage of his winners were with claimers.)

[Linny]

The fact is that testing is always one step behind. They cannot test for what they don't know and the chemists are always cooking something up.

Tests are not a matter of taking the sample and seeing what's in it. They test for specific chemicals and reactions indicating the presence or absence of a chemical. By definition, the testing industry is always reactive, not pro-active. Unless tyey have reason to suspect a certain compound is turning up in samples, it wont be found because they wont look for it. They only find what they look for and they only look for what they know.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Linny

The fact is that testing is always one step behind. They cannot test for what they don't know and the chemists are always cooking something up.

Tests are not a matter of taking the sample and seeing what's in it. They test for specific chemicals and reactions indicating the presence or absence of a chemical. By definition, the testing industry is always reactive, not pro-active. Unless tyey have reason to suspect a certain compound is turning up in samples, it wont be found because they wont look for it. They only find what they look for and they only look for what they know.

Did you listen, last week I think it was, to Steve's ATR discussion with the head of RMTC? The level of proactivity was exactly what was discussed. It most certainly can be done.

[reese]

Originally Posted by Riot

Did you listen, last week I think it was, to Steve's ATR discussion with the head of RMTC? The level of proactivity was exactly what was discussed. It most certainly can be done.

I heard the program and that guy left out a MAJOR consideration...not once did I hear him mention COSTS...who is going to pay for all this drug testing?

Most tracks cannot even afford to keep the track in good shape. Who is going to pay for all the drug testing? No answer to that question was broached when I was listening.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by reese

I heard the program and that guy left out a MAJOR consideration...not once did I hear him mention COSTS...who is going to pay for all this drug testing?

Most tracks cannot even afford to keep the track in good shape. Who is going to pay for all the drug testing? No answer to that question was broached when I was listening.

I'm all for testing, but to be cynical for a moment will it work? The cheaters always seem to be a few steps ahead of the testers, if something is flagged they will go to something else less detectable. Other sports have had simular problems catching the cheaters, horseracing is no different I surmise. The only way to level the playing field is to let them all cheat, and the chance of that happening is O.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by CSC

I'm all for testing, but to be cynical for a moment will it work? The cheaters always seem to be a few steps ahead of the testers, if something is flagged they will go to something else less detectable. Other sports have had simular problems catching the cheaters, horseracing is no different I surmise. The only way to level the playing field is to let them all cheat, and the chance of that happening is O.

This is a good point, the penalties need to be harsh enough to deter the cheaters.

Originally Posted by Riot

STOP IT, 'Zig. This is a runaway jury, and you, like me, are now just standing in the way, impeding the rush to judgment.

Yeah right. You'd already be in the gas chamber.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Yeah right. You'd already be in the gas chamber.

And I'm sure there are still some people out there that think OJ is still innocent. Damn circumstantial evidence...

[CSC]

Correction the Lukas stable hasn't been the same since Simon left.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by CSC

Correction the Lukas stable hasn't been the same since Simon left.

It was going the wrong way while i was there

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

It was going the wrong way while i was there

Why do you think that was Chuck?

Originally Posted by CSC

And I'm sure there are still some people out there that think OJ is still innocent. Damn circumstantial evidence...

There are a few on here who think he's innocent.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Danzig

and people wonder why some cheat-look at the constant harping on pletcher right now. maybe he wasn't clean, and is now-if so, good for him. or maybe he was clean all along, but had better stock. or maybe he sold his soul, and then changed his mind. who knows?
but i think it's bizarre that he gets tons of grief, with what-two positives now, one for an antiboiotic, the other for a level now legal? meanwhile, the man with 13 X's more the positives is said to be the eclipse fave, and no one says a thing.

He's held to his own standard because he's the poster boy for racing. If he walked through a crowd at Saratoga 90% of racing fans would know who he is. Gary Sherlock has won just as many G1's this year as Todd but no one would know who he is. It'd be like a revelation that Tiger Woods uses steroids or illegal golf balls.

You know that Assman is universally reviled on this board and pretty much everywhere else.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by philcski

He's held to his own standard because he's the poster boy for racing. If he walked through a crowd at Saratoga 90% of racing fans would know who he is. Gary Sherlock has won just as many G1's this year as Todd but no one would know who he is. It'd be like a revelation that Tiger Woods uses steroids or illegal golf balls.

You know that Assman is universally reviled on this board and pretty much everywhere else.

Good analogy, if Tiger Woods didn't win a major all year but won a bunch of lesser tournaments, people would ask the same thing what is wrong with the guy?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by CSC

Good analogy, if Tiger Woods didn't win a major all year but won a bunch of lesser tournaments, people would ask the same thing what is wrong with the guy?

Yeah, but would they automatically attribute it to, "Well, he musta stopped taking the steroids that were giving him his power and distance" ??

Woods isn't John Daley.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Riot

Yeah, but would they automatically attribute it to, "Well, he musta stopped taking the steroids that were giving him his power and distance" ??

Woods isn't John Daley.

This brings up an important point.

If Woods married John Daley, would you have the name John Wood or Daley Wood?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

This brings up an important point.

If Woods married John Daley, would you have the name John Wood or Daley Wood?

I think most guys would be worrying about where Tiger's wife went.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Riot

I think most guys would be worrying about where Tiger's wife went.

Come to think of it, that might be the reason I almost never sleep.

Do you have any recommendations to help me sleep? I'm trying to figure out which sleep aid would work best for me.