NAGLE: AN OPEN LETTER TO TAMPA BAY DOWNS

[Kelly Kip]

GREAT article by Ray, as usual.

by Ray Paulick

When I visited Tampa Bay Downs last March, owners and trainers I spoke with were up in arms over the lack of action by track management against trainer Jane Cibelli, whose veterinarian, Dr. Orlando Paraliticci, was caught illegally injecting a pain blocking agent into the right front leg of one of Cibelli’s horses on the morning it was to race. Paraliticci was banned from Tampa Bay one week after the incident and subsequently suspended 90 days by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, the state’s regulatory agency. To date, no action has been taken by the state or Tampa Bay Downs against Cibelli, who has both a personal and business relationship with track vice president of marketing and publicity, Margo Flynn.

Sentiment then among horsemen and women we spoke with was that Tampa Bay Downs management was sweeping the incident under the rug because of Cibelli’s relationship with Flynn. It is an allegation vice president and general manager Peter Berube vehemently denies.



Shortly after the January incident occurred, Reid Nagle, a Thoroughbred owner and trainer who was founder and CEO of the financial information company SNL Financial, wrote a letter to Tampa Bay Downs owner Stella Thayer, urging her to handle the matter appropriately and take further steps to crack down on perceived cheating that has allowed certain trainers to win races at uncommonly high percentages.
Eight months later, Nagle has written the following open letter to Thayer and Berube, explaining why he has opted not to return to Tampa Bay Downs and is urging others to do the same

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s ... bay-downs/

[ratherrapid]

gulfstream is a cheat fee track then? Nagle has established that, undoubtedly. Were i at tampa, i'd send him a letter to avoid letting the door hit him on the way out. injecting a splint on race day is illegal, and has nothing to do with performance enhancement. To think a trainer's relation with the "assistant" direct or marketing(i.e. glorified secretary) has anything to do with anything is fairly close to ludicrous imo.

[madelyn]

Why would you think that the VICE PRESIDENT of marketing and publicity would actually be a "glorified secretary" and wield no authority??? Ohh wait, it is a WOMAN in that position. What if it was "Mark Flynn", not "Margo Flynn"?

[ct2346]

Why would you think that the VICE PRESIDENT of marketing and publicity would actually be a "glorified secretary" and wield no authority??? Ohh wait, it is a WOMAN in that position. What if it was "Mark Flynn", not "Margo Flynn"?

Spare us all this meaningless diversion. I know and work with a lot of male admins. The point is that the position is that of a glorified secretary...and I agree.

The real issue is that the owner is taking a stand against cheaters and that is a position that we should all support.

[ratherrapid]

The real issue is that the owner is taking a stand against cheaters and that is a position that we should all support.[/quote]

true except the way I read Nagle letter he is accusing all of tampa backstretch for using performance enhancers-?

[TJ]

The real issue is that the owner is taking a stand against cheaters and that is a position that we should all support.

true except the way I read Nagle letter he is accusing all of tampa backstretch for using performance enhancers-?

Hi Rather,
Not so certain he's accusing "all of tampa backstretch for using performance enhancers"...but he does reference those who win at uncommonly high percentages as cheaters who haven't been caught yet. Such a thought does form in the minds of most horseman and fans, but fellow horseman seldom voice their opinion in an open letter for fear of losing their stalls. On the other hand, it is the main topic many fans complain about daily at the races. His letter, although possibly self serving in his quest to earn notoriety in his new field, does attack some viable issues. His letter in its entirety is below. TJ
https://docs.google.com/a/paulickreport ... edit?pli=1

[madelyn]

ratherrapid, I disagree with you. I read the letter in its entirety and it does NOT, in my opinion, accuse "all" backstretch folk of being cheaters. It is a very articulate and well written piece, in fact.

[ratherrapid]

this seems different somehow than what I read on Paulick or possibly I read wrong.

[TJ]

The powers that be certainly dragged their feet issuing this suspension, but they finally got it right. Both Cibelli and the Vet are banned from working or running at the 2013-14 Tampa Bay Downs meeting. In addition Cibelli recieved a 60 day suspension which is usually a reciprocal arrangement with other tracks. Regarless of where she trains after her suspension is completed, Tampa Bay Downs will not accept any entries from Cibelli due to the ban imposed. TJ
http://www.drf.com/news/tampa-bay-downs ... 14-meeting

[ides of ice]

Here's her take

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/peopl ... the-story/