cancelled

[Sylvie Hebert]

forget it

[Kristie]

So, just exactly what did you do to warrant this type of "class action". Sure seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest!

[HR LLC]

Sorry to hear that. You are in a tough spot. How did you piss all the jockey agents and stewards off?

I assume you play along with them or move to another state where you think its fair. As you know, it costs a lot to get them to the races and if you dont get a fair shot at winning then you are wasting your time.

[Sylvie Hebert]

no comments?

[summerhorse]

Doesn't sound like a place I'd want to race anyway. I won't offer any opinions on the general state of LA government/politics, think you found out the answers the hard way! It would be cheaper and easier in the long run to go somewhere where they DO want their industry to grow.

[austique]

I'd second everybody else and say get out of there. My brother went down there a year after getting his license and even with us employing a well-liked local rider we didn't get out unscathed and he saw first hand that they've got no issue killing your horses when you piss them off. Its just too clanish down there.

[ragsdaj1]

Thanks for sharing your LA hospitality story. I'm surprised it is because you choose to run shoeless, I see that becoming more common in the future.

I live nearby and have been looking at Lousiana because they offer a nice dirt and turf venue. Too bad.

[zinn21]

This sounds like a story one of the News Magazine shows would love. Have Mike Wallace walk into the stewards office or one of the hidden camera scenarios.

We've only heard one side of the alleged story so I will hold off judgement.

[Crystal]

Have you contacted the HBPA or the Racing Form about this treatment??? That is horrible. I was a Yankee in the good ole boys county in L.A. last year, and yeah I don't think I would race there.. Just not my cup of Tea.. and I mean TEA not Moonshine..

[yukidragon]

That's to bad Sylvie.
I was hopeing the best for you.
Sounds like a local trainer or several an maybe a few owners to boot trying to save their bread an butter so to speak instead of the
Mafia.
I'll leave it light instead of telling the world what I really think.

[kezeli]

Sounds a bit like Detroit was a long time ago. IMHO it may be that you are a woman most of all. I think most of us that started long age will rember how sexist it was, a more evolved track will better suit anyway. Keep your mouth shut, rember that vet that was found on the beach in Chicago years back? Well don't forget that apearently that crap is alive and well in LA :evil:

[StrawberryFelidos]

My thoughts:
With the recent popularity of Barbaro and the interest in exposing the "dirty side" of racing, I suspect this kind of story would be right up the newscasters' ally.
"Horses running on drugs!" "Murdered racehorses, coverups, barns on fire!" "The secret mafia at the track!" Man, I can hear the anchors salivating already...

[HR LLC]

The only problem with exposing this stuff to the "public" is the backlash you may get from other tracks. Rarely do you see "whistleblowers" rehired at another company. Would it be worth the time and effort to bring this "racing mafia' down or would it be better just to move to another state?

We are talking about one of the most corrupt states in the country.

[Sylvie Hebert]

...

[jumper77]

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles here in LA. I wish I could argue with you and say it's not true, but I'd be an idiot to try and do that. I don't have much experience with tracks here, except for buying horses off the track for retraining. Being a homegrown Louisiana girl myself, I am all too familiar with the "good old country boys" club. It's embarassing to say it, but I think if you wanted to get rid of all the corrupt behavior in this state, you'd have to exterminate the entire population and ship in new inhabitants. It's a shame, because all of the great things about Louisiana will forever be overshadowed by the insanity of our politicians and the general public. Just look at what a royal mess Katrina was (and still is.) And to think there are a lot of people who think we deserved what happened here because of the behavior and actions of our elected officials and our residents in general. Sigh. Only in Louisiana. We're not all crazy (but most of us are. ) I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do, but you're right; you'd probably be better off if you ran fast and never looked back.