Report: Dutrow Facing Drug Positive

[ELA]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You are missing the point. I understand that they are big outfits because they win. But they arent the only trainers that can win. It may seem like it on the surface but it does have a lot to do with attitude. Because if you continue to employ trainers who repeatedly get suspended and have violations than you are doing nothing more than condoning his actions. If owners were serious about "cleaning up" the game they could start by sending horses elsewhere. THAT would get these guys attention quicker than 6 month suspensions.

Chuck, while I agree with you, as I've said -- this is not just an "owner" problem. You cannot expect one aspect of the industry -- a billion dollar industry -- to self police and govern itself to certain standards, when the remainder of the industry does not and will not have to. This is no different than merely cutting off one of Hydra's heads.

If you want owners to act with moral conscience, than you must have integrity in the other aspects of the game.

In addition, I use trainers who win races and they range from not one positive test in a 25-30 year career (in one case), to trainers who have had a clenbuterol positive (10 years ago I think), and others. And you know what? Those guys take the heat too. That doesn't give you immunity.

I have a trainer who IMO is a top trainer, an excellent horseman. Almost 30 years on the backstretch and he's never had a positive test. Not one. A friend of mine claims a horse for 20k and the horse goes nowhere after a couple of starts. The trainer won't drop him to where he can win, the excuses start. Third start off the claim he finishes 5th to a horse from my trainer's barn (not my horse). My friend's trainer looks at the form and says "oh yeah, it's a _(trainer's name)_ horse, well you can't beat him, we know what he's doing" -- on and on about my trainer. Not one positive and people "just know" he's doing something.

Why is it not about questions like -- How about picking a trainer who wins races? How about cut the BS, check your ego at the door, and drop your horse to where he can be competitive? Yes, I know it cuts both ways, but who are we blaming here and who are we looking at to solve the problem? It's not just "the owners".

People who are in this business, who spend time on the backstretch, in the race office, etc. -- they know that everyone is doing something. Don't ask owners to do something that other participants in the industry are not willing to do themselves.

Eric