The Michael Gill/Penn National Riders Saga

[Thoroughbred Fan]

Originally Posted by ARyan

There is a cyclopean differnce between running a sore horse and knowingly running a horse that is on the verge of a catastrophic breakdown.

I believe that is the point, which you have obviously missed.

I don't think you can tell the difference. I've seen the soundest horses breakdown. Bad steps happen. I've also seen a horse who couldn't really work between starts win about 100k in a year in lower level claimers.

Making the call as to when the horse should and shouldn't be run is not as black and white as you seem to think.

[Honu]

Originally Posted by Thoroughbred Fan

I don't think you can tell the difference. I've seen the soundest horses breakdown. Bad steps happen. I've also seen a horse who couldn't really work between starts win about 100k in a year in lower level claimers.

Making the call as to when the horse should and shouldn't be run is not as black and white as you seem to think.

You are right when you say accidents do happen but I would say that any dilligent trainer should and would know what is going on with their stock.
It is apparent that riders have noticed a trend with Gill's horses and they have noticed enough to know it isnt worth the risk to ride them , for now anyway.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Honu

You are right when you say accidents do happen but I would say that any dilligent trainer should and would know what is going on with their stock.
It is apparent that riders have noticed a trend with Gill's horses and they have noticed enough to know it isnt worth the risk to ride them , for now anyway.

They won't even ride in races if they did ship in someone to ride the stock..That is saying a lot.

[MISTERGEE]

Gill has 2 in tomorrow, will his entries get scratched?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by freddymo

They won't even ride in races if they did ship in someone to ride the stock..That is saying a lot.

You're talking about Penn National .... a place where Steph Beattie (best juice ever?) gets elected president of the HPBA.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

You're talking about Penn National .... a place where Steph Beattie (best juice ever?) gets elected president of the HPBA.

I voted for her.. Steph Beattie is aggressive were she places horses. When was her last positive?

[MISTERGEE]

she probably won because all the other beatties stuffed the ballot

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I voted for her.. Steph Beattie is aggressive were she places horses. When was her last positive?

She's had a few recent suspensions.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...uspension.aspx

Not to mention she single handedly accounted for 13 of the first 48 steroid overages at the states 3 race tracks....but hey, only doing stuff at 27% has to feel like a gigantic disapointment for her.

Using archived result charts, I was able to look up each race where a horse tested positive out of and identify each trainer of the 48 horses. The list was dominated by one in-state trainer and featured multiple offenses from a few others.

One high-profile trainer whose army of horses didn't produce a single positive test was Scott Lake, who currently ranks second in the nation in races won and has a large stable racing in Pennsylvania. While the big-volume Lake stable pitched a shutout, horses trained by the magical Stephanie Beattie racked up an alarming 13 positive steroid tests -- eight more than the next highest trainer.

And I wouldn't care if she never had a positive... all I need to do is witness the form reversals and observe her magic to know she's possibly the games greatest alchemist of the past decade.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

She's had a few recent suspensions.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...uspension.aspx

Not to mention she single handedly accounted for 13 of the first 48 steroid overages at the states 3 race tracks....but hey, only doing stuff at 27% has to feel like a gigantic disapointment for her.



And I wouldn't care if she never had a positive... all I need to do is witness the form reversals and observe her magic to know she's possibly the games greatest alchemist of the past decade.

Todd must be so proud.

[ARyan]

Originally Posted by Thoroughbred Fan

I don't think you can tell the difference. I've seen the soundest horses breakdown. Bad steps happen. I've also seen a horse who couldn't really work between starts win about 100k in a year in lower level claimers.

Making the call as to when the horse should and shouldn't be run is not as black and white as you seem to think.

Obviously injuries of this nature can happen at anytime, anyone with even a limited knowledge of the game knows this.

You, sir, are not the only person on this board who has a history with ownership, or a knowledge of "making calls."

A reasonable decision process, on if a horse can race or is on the verge of breaking down and should not run, can be made. Is anything ever 100%, no, but with proper precautions and plausible judegment you can mitigate risk.

However, I guess this way of thinking is just considered being a "horsey lover," and not being a dilligent owner/trainer.

By just throwing caution into the wind, and running horses by any means necessary, even those who are on the verge of breaking down, you are knowingly risking the lives of every horse and every human in the race.

[richard]

Originally Posted by ARyan

Obviously injuries of this nature can happen at anytime, anyone with even a limited knowledge of the game knows this.

You, sir, are not the only person on this board who has a history with ownership, or a knowledge of "making calls."

A reasonable decision process, on if a horse can race or is on the verge of breaking down and should not run, can be made. Is anything ever 100%, no, but with proper precautions and plausible judegment you can mitigate risk.

However, I guess this way of thinking is just considered being a "horsey lover," and not being a dilligent owner/trainer.

By just throwing caution into the wind, and running horses by any means necessary, even those who are on the verge of breaking down, you are knowingly risking the lives of every horse and every human in the race.

Well written sir.
http://www.horsecouncil.org/pressrel...elfareCode.php