NYT article...

[ides of ice]

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/in ... N=92951531

[TJ]

Asmussen got off easy years back when he received a 6 month suspension, from 7/20/09-1/15/10. To think he won the eclipse award for outstanding trainer two years in a row 2008 and 2009. Hard to believe he received an award for outstanding trainer and a 6 month suspension in the same year (2009)?
These tapes look real bad for Asmussen's assistant trainer Blasi...probably more so then Asmussen. This should rattle some cages big time....if they suspended Dutrow for 10 years....these tapes should destroy these two guys? TJ

[ides of ice]

what about the part when they are talking about zapping the horses via the whips-Gary Stevens is laughing about it-wow.

[madelyn]

That barn did nothing really different than a lot of the big training operations. It will be very interesting to see if this just causes a small ripple or if it really has an effect.

[TJ]

what about the part when they are talking about zapping the horses via the whips-Gary Stevens is laughing about it-wow.

Hi Ides,
Yes....that should cause a stir...but I doubt they will make a big deal out of it. They are both resurgent stars (Stevens and Lukas), but it's no real surprise what he did. It was a pretty common occurrence years ago...and it still goes on today....as Blasi stated concerning rider, Ricardo Santana Jr. TJ

[Cree]

It doesn't look good for racing, even if PETA edited the segment to suit their agenda. A lot of people are saying PETA is being overly dramatic, but I still think the barn is completely at blame and that the horrific stuff they portrayed in the video goes on. Of course they do that to their horses. The operation is like a puppy mill, just shooting them out one after another. They are replaceable, sadly.
I do hope there is further investigation. At least they should be in trouble for the treatment of the grooms, and hiring illegal employees.

[Sylvie Hebert]

http://youtu.be/9TJVA2lwW4A
here is the link to the video....sad part....true and not limited to these assh...

[ct2346]

Watching this generates a couple of thoughts.

- Blasi's view of his charges is deep seated and so wrong - there is no defense for an attitude that treats horses as mere tools. He needs to be banned for life.
- Asmussen was responsible for the care of these horses. If he did not participate in the same attitudes, I would be surprised. At the very least he condoned the treatments and attitudes. He needs to be banned for life.
- Lukas and Stevens reminiscing falls in the category of good old days truth stretching. Based solely on that video, I am willing to give them a pass until something else turns up.
-Owners, even small ones can start to make a difference here. Asmussen now gets added to "the list". Any jock that rides for Asmussen going forward, now gets added to the list. Those on the list do not ride for me. If other honest owners took this approach, and made sure their trainers realized it, it will start to have an impact.
-I have a feeling that Asmussen and Blasi are going down, anyway.

[kezeli]

The animal rights groups always edit and portray the stories in a scripted manner, out of context everything sounds worse than it really is, that story Stevens was telling was from years ago, all race trackers have stories like that, does'nt mean it is still going on, well not so much. Jip trainers at bush tracks are worse. These PETA people are even bitching about supplements, really? your gonna bitch about vitamins???

[DDT]

To say that the statements joking about using mechanical means to make a horse run faster is just "good old boys" joking about the past is one of the main reasons racing is losing the integrity battle. If a trainer or jockey admits to cheating they should be set down for life. I am sure that the clients involved in this will no longer tolerate having Blasi be around their horses. Sure PETA has an agenda but I defy anyone to come up with any proper context for his statements. It makes me wonder how any interviewer of Blasi salvaged enough material to print an article about his views.

DDT

[Des]

No Surprise at all to me... Wonder when is the next undercover coming out... "


"A pretty face can catch them all"

[TJ]

This is a very serious video and I'm sure NY and Kentucky will take this to the max. Not to mention the feds concerning race fixing (riders with electrical devices) and hiring under false social security numbers. These are punishable by jail time.
Lukas was a leading quarter horse trainer and you heard him say it was a buzzer symphony behind the gate. When Stevens tells his story about shocking himself while trying to remove the "joint"...it brings to mind the position Saez' hands were in pulling up Will Take Charge, when he was accused of riding with a joint. Looked as if he was trying to remove the ring joint from his finger and put it in his left hand. Yet they were help blameless after the investigation. Watch the video below after you listen to Stevens account of how he shocked himself.....his words: "So, long story short, I win the race and hit the finish line and I reach over to pull this off (the joint) and I shock the shit out of myself." TJ
https://docs.google.com/a/paulickreport ... edit?pli=1

[Cree]

Zayat has ordered all of his Asmussen trainees to be scratched:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... ned-horses

[madelyn]

Asmussen's name has been removed from the finalists list for the Hall of Fame. Any votes for him have been cancelled.

[Pitbull599]

As much as I like asmussen I honestly have nothing to say in his defense this is not the first time I hear things like this about him!!! Just 2 years ago he was under investigation for some of his personal horse going to slaughter.
I have been around the back track long enough to know how he treats his horses and some of the stuff I hear is not so good!!