Bad Rap Sheet?

By now you've doubtless read somewhere about trainer Rick Dutrow's "72 citations for offenses" (Sports Illustrated), his "72 separate rules violations" (espn.com), or, in the even looser reporting standards of the blogosphere, his "72 suspensions" or "72 doping violations." Problem is, it all stems from the same source and neither the number nor the characterization of what they constitute appears to be true.

The source for the 72 supposed infractions is a database search from the Association of Racing Commissioners International, as published on The Baltimore Sun's website during Preakness Week. The header of the 33-page report begins "richard eugene dutrow Rulings Against: 72" and apparently that's about as far as a lot of people read:

1. Only 59 "rulings" appear to be listed as opposed to the 72 in the header.

2. Many of them are duplicative or are the second or third iteration of a single ruling following a modification or appeal.

3. Some of them are not "rulings against" Dutrow at all, such as the four in which racing commissions ruled he was "restored to good standing" after paying fines or restitution.

4. Many of them do not have anything to do with administering illegal medication, and are for such common infractions as failing to have foal papers on file, providing the correct owners' colors to the jockey room, or failure to follow entry and scratch procedures. Eight of them involve his personal marijuana use and posession more than 15 years ago.

It appears the correct number of medication rulings is 13, not 72: six Bute overages, four Lasix overages, two for clenbuterol, and the mepivicaine positive for which he was suspended (along with a clenbuterol positive) 60 days in 2005. This is not a record worthy of consideration for the Exemplar Of Racing Award, but it's also not 72 cases of doping horses.

Below is a summary of the "rulings" listed in the ARCI document, which appears to omit the $25k fine New York assessed for Dutrow's violating the terms of his 2005 suspension by communicating with his assistants. Also, the first item was not in the ARCI report, which was generated a month earlier.

Posted by Steven Crist Jun 25, 2008 7:35:57 PM | Permalink

Keywords:

Comments

callmetony says:

steve and guys

Just opened my house up @ the lake by the spa . Can;t wait for the meet to start . No bobble head day this year what's that about? ha . As a matter of fact all the giveaways look like junk . Maybe that will keep the spinners away (which is a good thing ) Hopefully we will get some real races as opposed to what NYRA has been throwing at us . 5 horse fields.

Posted by Callmetony Jun 29, 2008 8:49:34 PM

yuwipi says:

I see I missed a good one while my internet access was down for 5 days.
I add up the fine total to be $33,650. A little less than the $200k Dickie D is reported to have bet on Saint Liam.
Also note that it's a lot cheaper to "necessitate a late scratch" in Maryland or Delaware ($250) than NYRA ($2,500).
Although I'm not a big Dutrow fan I don't stick pins in his voodoo doll likeness either. I feel he is being unjustly pilloried by parts of the media as a scapegoat. Drugs are endemic in this game, confusing in their legality, application, and enforcement, and a public lynching of one trainer isn't going to change that.

Posted by yuwipi Jun 29, 2008 8:40:06 PM

captain_america says:

Hey Steve:

I just watched Perfect Drift clunk it up in the Gold Cup. I love him, though.

You know what we need to see? A match race between Perfect Drift and Evening Attire!!! The two grand old men of the circuit.

Or at least a Grumpy Old Fart Handicap, for 8-year-olds and up, and a mile and 3/8ths.

What do you think?

Posted by Captain America Jun 28, 2008 8:51:38 PM

justin says:

If Dutrow could only learn to keep his mouth shut, he makes more trouble for himself. IEAH does not have the best reputation right now so I think it would behoove them to stay put, they have never had this much success with any other trainer. I'm not a big fan of Dutrow but I do not recall any of his horses breaking down recently, so they have to be pretty sound, besides Ashmussen has a much bigger problem than Dutrow.

Posted by Justin Jun 28, 2008 1:56:17 AM

tony says:

Not more than a day after your clarification on Rick Dutrow's misinterpreted doings, he speaks to the press.

And frankly, you gave him better press on Wednesday than he deserved after Friday's press conference. Because, honestly, after those ridiculous comments he gave to the media in which he actually had the gall to paint himself as a victim, and other trainers in NY in the last 20 years as cheats, I now wish to the heavens the earth could open up and swallow him whole. All the fairness you gave to him to clarify the record was wiped out in two days.

The horse biz could be a great one if the humans wouldn't suffer from foot-in-mouth disease on such a grand, misguided scale.

Posted by Tony Jun 27, 2008 10:57:36 PM

diceman says:

Hi Steve,

I try very hard every day not to judge anyone on Earth! I have a Partner in Heaven, the Good Lord, who is better qualified to judge than I am.

But here is the distinction. I am a successful business person and I own and operate a Retail Travel Agency. If possible I would never do business with a Cheat, Criminal or Convicted Felon. The reason are obvious. I could very easily be there next victim (bad check, stolen credit card, identiy theft, etc!)

What is most troubling in our current dialogue, apparently the Racing Industry (38 Jurisdictions) does not have any uniform rules and regulations on how to deal with Cheats, Criminals and Convicted Felons! What kind of "business model" have they adoped? Obviously ,it is one that will eventually destroy our great sport!

Steve, keep up your great work. At times you are the only Light in the Darkness! Don't give up - we the bettors, the Sports Real Heroes, need you more than ever!

Posted by Diceman Jun 27, 2008 12:38:10 PM

woodridgephil says:

seems to me its awful hard to know when to give horses these meds. upto 72hrs before on this one 1 week on this one and so on. i just don't buy these very rich men are giving 25000 claimers "juice".Racing boards need to be more uniform and either stop medicating all together or come up with a step by step process. I for one think the dutrows are good for the game.

Posted by woodridgephil Jun 27, 2008 10:13:12 AM

mike_p says:

Steve, your comments are so stupid and you are so intelligent that i can only believe you posted it just to get people going and that's exactly what you did...

Posted by Mike P Jun 27, 2008 9:49:26 AM

don_reed says:

THAT didn't take long!

Posted (6/26/08), yesterday, by this writer:

"And I suspect that Dutrow's days as IEAH's most prominent trainer are numbered.

"The heat is on. This unconscionable man who recklessly scapegoated various people this year will be undoubtedly be surprised when things come full circle - if & when Iavarone & Co. decide that he's expendable - a convenient alibi for everything that suddenly went haywire on the day that Iavarone rang the NYSE opening bell."

The, @ twenty-four hours later:

NY Post, 10/27/08 (next day):

"Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. is on thin ice and in danger of losing all of the IEAH Incorporated owned horses, including the Kentucky Derby winner, due to Dutrow's recent suspension in Kentucky for a clenbuterol positive."

Yikes!

Posted by Don Reed Jun 27, 2008 9:42:06 AM

unitas says:

Just saw Saturdays entries @ Belmont, including the Gr.1 Suburban Handicap...Good Lord, this is a Gr.1 in New York? Looks to me more like a glorified overnight stakes...What has happened to this once proud Gr.1 event that used to hold some weight? I believe this race used to be run on July 4th, when there were healthy crowds at the track and a strong handle due to a Holiday crowd. Now it is hidden on a Saturday afternoon, playing second fiddle to the Mother Goose(Gr.1), where there are 4(four!) fillies entered...Looks like NYRA s already starting to pack up for the Spa! Depressing, to say the least...

Posted by Unitas Jun 27, 2008 8:59:04 AM

andyscoggin says:

Jeremy Rose gets 6 months for excessive whipping and these drugstore trainers get 10 days or so. I guess this shows racing's priorities!

Rose was wrong and should be suspended, but the horse is not going to die! But the drugs, lidocaine, c'mon he should be with Patrick Biancone!

Posted by AndyScoggin Jun 27, 2008 7:10:49 AM

kevin_morris says:

My problem isn't with Dutrow, Biancone, or Asmussen, it's with the racing industry that doesn't have sufficient deterents in place to keep the trainers from cheating. In organized sports repeated violations of the rules bring increasingly harsh punishments, but Dutrow is considered a first time offender in Kentucky. Ridiculous!

Posted by kevin morris Jun 27, 2008 6:34:44 AM

samg says:

As long as there are no real penalties for cheating what does it really matter who does what?The sad thing is that horse racing has become such a second rate sport that the mainstream media can say anything they want and the general public will believe them because they have no clue.Politicians can spout nonsense about the sport trying to grab headlines because most people don`t know just how full of it they are.They`re off base however if they really think the public is up in arms.Where I work you`d be lucky to find 1 out of 10 people who could tell you who Big Brown is,let alone Eight Belles.Recently I looked at a magazine rack and saw plenty about Nascar,Wrestling,Body Building,Hunting,Fishing and almost any sport one could think of except Horse Racing.Steve,you do a great job trying to set the record straight on this and other issues,I just wish you could reach the general public.Aside from us diehard racing fans few people really care.
As far as Dutrow blaming Kent D. for losing the Belmont:what a classless act.Between that and ripping John Servis for no good reason I lost all respect I still had for the man.

Posted by SamG Jun 27, 2008 2:43:52 AM

dud_dew says:

Steve: don't want it lost in my noise: excellent work on your part. Corrective grit.
Way t'go.

Posted by dud dew Jun 27, 2008 1:37:49 AM

dud_dew says:

Some really nice work interwoven here (Hill, Munnelly, Reed, among about a dozen - failure to be named fault of my aging brain, not your good efforts) with interesting stuff like the implication global warming is one more of those damned tree-lover tricks - now if we can only get a special preacher who speaks iceburg to get that good news to them, and stop their prodigious and petulant melting...
As for Kent D's ride, I generally pay attention only to those who've been there, done that.
In this case, that would mean risking life and limb every day at your work for decades,
in fierce competition atop unruly beasts sometimes ten times your weight, with ideas of their own how hotly-paced races should be run, with a first-in-thirty-year Triple Crown in the offing, and a horse that's worth a possible $50-100 million under your guts. On your resume'. Just for starters.
If you're just a bettor or a scribe, however wise and gifted with pattern-recognition skills, and however willing to ignore at least a dozen other major variables laced thru this contest, any one or complex combo of which might explain the "failure," save your voice/keypad. You're a little short in the "stuff" department.

Posted by dud dew Jun 27, 2008 1:34:09 AM

dud_dew says:

Steve: great work. Basic, play-by-the-rules journalism.
Hope, though, you "homed" in, rather than "honed," as one commenter offered.
Not a Dutrow fan, spent some time making that clear when he was riding a "likeable rogue" wave at times during the Crown.
But the anger and disrespect aimed at him here and elsewhere remind me some of the wonderful citizens who haven't any imagination where the life of a cop, and its sometimes extraordinary frustrations and temptations are concerned (hence the very bad journalism that preceeded the Rodney King Debacle - the constant replay of that disturbing beating without benefit of complex daily context), so we get righteous piety from same when cops lose it, battling those unimagined and/or conveniently disregarded and all-too-human boilovers which almost necessarily attend the unacknowledged and legit frustration.
Imagine, then, that you're struggling to get a foothold in the fiercely competitive world of thoroughbred training, and your best and brightest, treated with profound respect for their own makeup, and rigidly within all the medication rules, routinely go out and get their brains beaten by horses and trainers you know to be inferior, with the sly aid of illegal chemical magic.
And the beat goes on, meet after meet. You start to lose owners, as well as races.
You're faced with laying off long-term employees, good, honest hard-working folks, who, too often and just like you, know no other way to make a living. You have a family to help support; so do they. What recourse, in the not-so-pious world? Many guys
(and a few gals) I learned at a distance to like and respect for their work in the late eighties and early nineties were faced with that
Hobson's choice - go along to get along, so I can meet my most basic obligations, or get out of this lost industry, and try my hand (sometimes way too real-world late) at something else, so I can save my soul and the relative few horses under my control, even at the risk of my family's stability and basic survival.
Which would you choose, never having had to face a similar choice...

Just so, given the continuing failure (of ALL of us) to create and sustain a vigorous and wise partnership (bettors, trainers and keepers, tracks and responsible agencies) to rid the game of its worst horse- AND people-hating practices, and give honest trainers a fair and consistent shot at earning a decent living, I can dislike Dick Dutrow, but I can't say I honestly blame him, and I certainly can't say I would make significantly better decisions faced with that rending puzzle, one he faces each and every day. Clean up the sport, stem to stern. See if Dick (and Asmussen, and Catalano, and Passero, and on and on) goes clean. If he doesn't, he is, ironically, fair game for all these shots.
Absent that Augean task, the righteous invective here is just so much of the stuff that stables are so full of....

Posted by dud dew Jun 27, 2008 1:07:48 AM

jeff says:

Don't sugarcoat it....Dutrow is a cheating punk and as much as I respected the horse I laughed my A$$ off when he ran last in the Belmont.

Any horse trained by Dutrow and owned by that IHEA group doesn't desreve to be mentioned in the same breath as past Triple Crown winners. The racing Gods were on the side of history on Belmont day.

I don't wish any harm to the horse...the rest of that bunch??? Couldn't care less what hapens to them.

Posted by jeff Jun 26, 2008 7:27:32 PM

don_reed says:

Boy, does this story have LEGS!

I was 100% in favor of throwing all the clippings in the "Belmont Stakes 2008" file and proceeding from there, focusing on other matters.

Fat chance. There's blood in the water, now. The momentum of what's transpired in the last 48 hours now appears to have achieved critical mass.

"The Last Tycoons" (William Cohan, 2007) details the endless imbroglio created by ITT's acquisition of Hartford Fire Insurance Co. - which started in 1968, brought down an Attorney General of the United States who had perjured himself during his confirmation hearings, and wasn't ultimately resolved until 1981.

No matter what various people involved in the matter did to try to save themselves, they could not extract themselves from the inexhaustible scandal for the better part of a decade.

The Asmussen-Dutrow-Levine axis story on DRF's front page now appears to resemble, in this respect, the "never-say-die" pattern of the ITT saga (which would die down and then erupt again, repeatedly).

Although I seriously doubt that this current drugs, trainers, vets & public relations fiasco story will proceed for another eleven years, I'd like to remind readers that the "Aqueduct Gaming's just around the corner" stories started, when, in 1998? 2000?

And then there's been the parade of "temporary" extensions of the NYRA franchise, which will in all likelihood will be succeeded by another five to ten renewals before the matter is finally resolved (if ever). The inexhaustible discussions and articles written about this hypothetical event, I believe, started surfacing @ 2004.

Kevin Munnelly: Congratulations! Your comments about Levine were posted BEFORE the DRF Levine story broke.

Obviously, when experienced handicappers see a trainer with an on-going 48% winning percentage, they know exactly what they're looking at.

Mr. Unitas: Unfortunately, we are divided, in opinion.

Re-assembling and restating in compact form what I've sent in about Dutrow and Iavarone during the past two months is possible, but would be impractical. Please check the past Crist Blog archives for those postings.

Unfortunately, I don't see that the blog has a "search" function, making it possible to quickly locate everything sent in by one author. But even without this convenience, it would well be worth your while to invest the time necessary for you to obtain the answer to your question.

I'll leave you with this. If ALL of these drugs currently being administered to race horses had been banned - regardless of the other consequences to racing - their subsequent detection would not have resulted in the current meaningless penalties that have invited the current obvious contempt of the trainers who have racked up numerous penalties.

And if trainers and vets then caught using ANY drugs were to have been banned for an entire year for a first offence, etc., you would never have heard the eventual bizarre statements by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

She never would have stated them. She never would have had the opportunity.

Her very existence in this matter was only made possible because racing authorities couldn't police the sport itself.

They didn't anticipate that if they let things to get out of hand, that unhinged, unchallenged political opportunists would then have a field day grandstanding and making baseless allegations - with the non-racing public itself now agreeing with them.

Every time a trainer was fined a meaningless $300, or given a tepid (and unenforced) 10-day suspension, Congresswoman Schakowsky came one step closer to becoming a national authority on racing on the day of reckoning.

And there's no way now that you can tuck her away, in a detention barn.

Posted by Don Reed Jun 26, 2008 6:14:58 PM

larry_thiel says:

I'm not able to put myself in the I hate Dutrow camp.
Which surprises me. I can usually hate with the best of 'em.
I'm impressed with the turn around of his life.
People who were never very low in life can have contempt for him.
I don't see anything in what he's done that calls for him to be hated.
The people in this game are not generally saints.
I know some that are.
But mostly they're just trying to win. And a lot of them will edge over the line to do it. And that's what you're competing with.
Dutrow's horses have had a great year. And I still say congratulations.

Posted by Larry Thiel Jun 26, 2008 5:57:07 PM

unitas says:

Hey Unbridledshell, Dick Dutrow was 100% correct lacing into Kent D. for his horrific ride in the Belmont...That partially loose shoe did nothing to deter BB from running his race, it was ALL DESORMEAUX! Made Ron Franklin's ride in the Belmont look good! Desormeaux panicked like a bugboy, & rode like one too! IEAH & P. Pompa would be doing an injustice to their barn, the horse, and especially the fans if they allow Kent D. to get ack aboard BB. What a disgraceful ride BB was given in the Belmont. Inexcusable.,... and Don Reed, can you please elaborate on how Dutrow & his entourage turned the entire 2008 Triple Crown into a contemptible travesty? I would love to hear this...

Posted by Unitas Jun 26, 2008 3:35:11 PM

mudhoundmojo says:

Parsixfarms, makes a very simple point ( ask questions ) that would be the ultimate firestorm to get the drug issues on the table of the national press.

Why is it so difficult for all these reporters to do what they have susposedly, been trained for. It has always been my thinking that a reporters biggest thrill is to break the big story. Well here it is on a silver platter.

Why wouldn't an ambitious horse racing reporter make it their mission, to ask every owner who uses a trainer with a history of infractions for illegal drugs, why they use that trainer? Then follow-up there stumbling bumbling attempt to avoid the question with "are you in favor of using these illegal drugs in your sport and with your horses?"

Why not go directly into a news conference ( like say the any of the TC races ) when there are multiple reporters in a big room and the trainer has no where to hide, and ask them directly....

If you go to question an owner or trainer who won't answer or gives snide remarks instead, then report that over and over again until they do. Pressure, pressure and more pressure on these owners and trainers in the media will go along way to getting the truth on the table...

As it is, the Jay Mariotti's of the world and these other mainstream sports reporters are beating the horse racing media to the punch. How sad that is. These same mainstream sports reporters ( who really don't understand horse racing at all ) give out convoluted and false information to the general public and make the problem even worse ( note: Steve's latest blog entry, attempting to clean up bad reporting )...

Posted by MudhoundMojo Jun 26, 2008 3:27:43 PM

mark_c says:

Dutrow uses drugs on his horses?????? no way!!!!! that's like telling me wrestling is fixed!

Posted by mark c Jun 26, 2008 1:27:30 PM

oaktownabq says:

I attend the Symposium on Racing in Arizona every year, and every year the industry bemoans the lack of coverage in mainstream media.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

Posted by OaktownABQ Jun 26, 2008 12:54:08 PM

prozac_jack says:

Dear Friends, Stop playing the horses altogether if you think drugs make a difference. What difference does it make if the horse is on something or the Jockey is HIGH. As long as the money is up for grabs, there will ALWAYS be some kind of scandal. It maybe Steroids one year and Rattle snake venom the next, and as long as the penalties are SOFT, the drug games will continue. I assume a horse that is well meant for a winning effort is ON something, "jet fuel" or whatever....It just doesn't matter because it will ALWAYS be something.. My worldly advice is, enjoy the CLASSICS but make your money in the claiming game......

Posted by Prozac Jack Jun 26, 2008 12:34:25 PM

jcp says:

And of course, those are only the times he got caught...

Posted by jcp Jun 26, 2008 10:27:40 AM

tinky says:

waz –

"Steve, I'm curious about the 4 violations labeled:

"Necessitated late scratch"

"Sounds like too much juice was given and they knew they would get caught?"

That's a excellent pick-up, and you've honed right in on the significance of it. Your inference is correct: while anecdotal, there is no doubt that RD scratched those horses late precisely because he was afraid that they would come up positive. And, needless to say, the penalties for those (scratching) infractions were far preferable to him than the likely alternatives.

parsixfarms –

"Could one of your reporters kindly ask Jess Jackson, who claims he wants to clean the game up, why he uses this guy?"

That's exactly the kind of pressure which should be ratcheted up. The sad fact of the matter is that there are many owners who only care about winning, and therefore feel no shame about being associated with cheating trainers. If the fans and the press were to exert some pressure by pointing out the hypocrisy, then we might see some owners migrating from the cheating trainers to the legitimate ones.

Posted by Tinky Jun 26, 2008 10:10:11 AM

bochalls says:

I am looking forward to beating Dutrow and IEAH just like Biancone last year. The cobra venom was found in Biancone's barn and he nosedived. Iavarone says all IEAH runners will be steroid free by the end of the year...good. His win % will plummet. Hey, where is Fernando Jara?

Posted by bochalls Jun 26, 2008 9:46:29 AM

bob_m says:

steve,

there is no doubt in my mind that dutrow and the connections of big brown are running him in the haskell at monmouth because they are deathly afraid to run big brown in new york again..

they will be allowed to do whatever they want at monmouth as far as steroids and whatever else they were doing in his prior races and im sure he will run lights out.. i agree with kevin who wrote earlier..

the pressure and the tighter scrutiny and security in new york will prevent big brown from ever running in new york again ..

Posted by bob m. Jun 26, 2008 9:38:44 AM

callmetony says:

guys

I don;t think it fair to put Steve on the grill . He's just stating the facts . As far as Dutrow getting suspended for Pot that doesn;t have anything to do with his horses . Who cares if he's high its the horses we need to know about . As a handicapper u just have to figure there all using something so it almost is a level playing field . The problem is if congress gets involved it just puts another bad mark on this so called sport of kings !

Posted by callmetony Jun 26, 2008 9:35:31 AM

floridalarry says:

Saratoga Notes:

I have made the early trek to the Spa to enjoy the Jazz Fest this w/e and ready my digs for the meet. The track itself looks ready to serve up another month of wonderful racing at it's best. However, for the first time ever there is an ominous dark cloud hovering over the track. It seems to be coming up from points South. Hope things 'come clean' before the last weeks of July.

Florida Larry

Posted by Florida-Larry Jun 26, 2008 9:33:07 AM

mike_c says:

Amazing at the lack of knowledge here and in the hysterical press. Every drug violation by Dutrow are ALLOWABLE meds by the NYSWB.The problem comes when the LEGAL meds do not clear a horses system on race day. That is carelessness or playing to close to the edge of the rules. In any event, Dutrow has NOT been caught with the "magic bullet". Every trainer KNOWS what is being tested for and knows a positive will come if they are not careful, he's obviously not.ALL TRAINERS use the same drugs but probably with more regard for pass through time.

Mike

Posted by mike c Jun 26, 2008 9:24:05 AM

svhill says:

I am no big fan of Dutrow's either, but this latest transgression is another "overage" of an allowed medical substance that exceeded raceday limits.

Asmussen, on the other hand, has tested positive for a drug (lidocaine) which is prohibited in any amount. It is a series 2 controlled substance and deadens the pain in a localized area and allows the horse to run. This has a use similar to Cobra Venom, just with the FDA imprimatur for use with people or animals in pain.

Based on the penalty that can attach, Dutrow's offense is not nearly as serious as Asmussens. But tell that to ESPN, where Jay Mariotti was trotting out those same numbers that Steve discredited while asking why another slap on the wrist for "Big Brown's trainer?"

That is why Asmussen is facing 6 months (again) and Dutrow is facing 15 days. Yet, over at Bloodhorse they are stating that Asmussen had the "overage" of a drug which is flat out prohibited and have framed Dutrow's offense as testing positive for a banned substance (which is a flat out lie).

Both are bad news for the industry, but why must the media twist and turn to make everything Dutrow does seem far worse than what anyone else is doing? The truth is, Larry Jones was just caught with the same "overage" that Dutrow was of the same broncial dilator, in Deleware.

How many knew about that-because you had to search deep in the articles to find that out. My point is simply that Steve is correct in trying to flesh out the true numbers with Dutrow. If we want to clean up this sport, we cannot appear like an uninformed, vindictive lynch mob and bandy about half truths and urban myths.

Stop believing everything you read from the media, consider what Steve is saying (because the truth is what will clean this sport up- not hysteria).

I find it disturbing that when I look deeply at things and stats that the press has assembled about Dutrow, that so many liberties have been taken with the truth.

Look, I understand your disgust here guys (and girls). You are preaching to the choir. But, what Steve has done is to shake off the nonsense and expose the bare truth. What difference does it make, because the guy is a sleezeball? Well, are you suggesting its ok to defame and smear Dutrow beyond what is true because you do not like the guy or what he stands for? Two wrongs are not right.

Steve, I understand what you are doing here, and I support it and understand your issue. We do ourselves no favors by latching on to a house of cards to try and bring Dutrow down with. Lets stick to the facts, they are enough on their own to say enough is enough to every trainer who feels he is above the rules, including Dick Dutrow.

Posted by svhill Jun 26, 2008 9:22:38 AM

forego says:

Shouldn't someone draw the line between presumably constructive and destructive drugs from the horse's perspective?

Clenbuterol theoretically will help a horse internally; its mass-building properties are unlikely the reason for using the drug; there are other cheaper and more effective ways of doing that.

Mepivicane and lidocaine and others are blocks which lead to the horse not knowing that he is sore or even where his legs are. Just watch some of them appear not to be sore, but not walking or jogging in a co-ordinated fashion.

Any horse moving in this fashion should immediately be scratched by track vets and stewards.

Trainers who use these latter types of drugs should be permanently barred from racing. They are the ones who are the most detrimental to the sport -business- and to the animals they supposedly love.

This is not to say that some of the so-called beneficial constructive drugs are not used to hide other illegal medications.

It is time for hay oats and water to return and for racing to crack down on the bad folk in a great sport.

Posted by forego Jun 26, 2008 9:19:37 AM

brian_mclean says:

I’m sure Steve was just trying to report the facts. There was no ‘caveat’ and thus it did come across as Johnny Cochranish…

Posted by Brian McLean Jun 26, 2008 8:24:44 AM

stephen_taylor says:

Steve-

I can't criticize you for getting the facts straight, although I personally would be very wary of having this guy anywhere near my horses. However I have to stand up for Ivarone-I'm guessing that a $7500 fine on Wall Street would be nothing more than a "slap on the wrist" and at the time he was basically a nobody in Wall Street circles, so his Wall Street incident must have been fairly minor. But what I do like about him is that he's MAKING DECISIONS and not following his trainer blindly. (And I'm not just talking about the "no drug" policy-did you see where, after Dutrow told anyone that would listen that Kip Deville flat out wouldn't run again until September that Iavaronne has decided to run him on July 13th in the Poker, not to mention the decision to run Big Brown in the Haskell rather than the Travers) Whether you agree with that or not, the point is that he's making the decisions, not letting the "inmates run the asylum!".

If I were an owner, especially of high quality horses, one of my first rules/agreements with my trainers would be simple: If I lose a purse because of a positive drug test, my trainer would have two choices: reimburse me for the purse I lost, or watch all of my horses be relocated to other barns! I'll bet my Graded Stakes horses would be the cleanest in the universe!

Posted by Stephen Taylor Jun 26, 2008 7:39:16 AM

don_reed says:

I've no respect for Dutrow & his entourage, who turned the 2008 Triple Crown into a contemptible travesty. Fortunately, their crash landing in the Belmont Stakes came to pass.

And I suspect that Dutrow's days as IEAH's most prominent trainer are numbered.

The heat is on. This unconscionable man who recklessly scapegoated various people this year will be undoubtedly be surprised when things come full circle - if & when Iavarone & Co. decide that he's expendable - a convenient alibi for everything that suddenly went haywire on the day that Iavarone rang the NYSE opening bell.

But to use this ARCI document as the basis for allegations is the 2nd coming of Senator Joe McCarthy in 1950, waving his list of "205" alleged communists in the U.S. State Department.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dutrow has already consulted his lawyers about a defamation suit.

But, unfortunately, what his lawyers are going to tell him is that - even after all of the inaccuracies are eliminated - Dutrow's record still would provide the evidence that since @ 2000, he's been a perennial leading candidate for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Posted by Don Reed Jun 26, 2008 4:02:13 AM

tom_d says:

I'm guessing your blog is not to defend Dutrow but to correct the mainstream media. The industry is hurting. You have the cheaters, the withholding of track signals that is driving people from the track, and now Rose gets 6 months for excessive whipping. The Saratoga meet better be good......

Posted by TOM D. Jun 26, 2008 3:52:38 AM

unbridledshell says:

bad rap? How bout what he laid upon kent d? And I nearly bought it! Then a loose shoe photo? Du Trow him out of racing for a long time.

Posted by unbridledshell Jun 26, 2008 3:40:13 AM

bellwether says:

thanks for the truth Steve...Long Live The King!!!

Posted by Bellwether Jun 26, 2008 3:09:50 AM

theraceguy says:

Wow,where do you start with a guy like Dutrow?Easy to hate or dislike him,very hard to cheer for.But like I said about Biancone(the last time I posted)is it not time to call into question the character of the people that give these guys horses to train.How transparent is the Oct. 1st deadline set by IEAH?
Approximately 1 mnth before the Breeders Cup.Just enough time for that last dose of roids.Maybe when a trainer gets a positive,none of his horses is allowed to start during the suspension.Then see how many guys keep supporting trainers like Dutrow and Asmussen.

Posted by theraceguy Jun 26, 2008 2:12:15 AM

richiebee says:

Dutrow's 5 year marijuana suspension is probably part of the reason he has had "only" 13 medication positives; he probably could have racked up another 5-10 positives if he had been in circulation those extra five years.

MacK Miller and Paul Mellon are gone; they have been replaced by Dutrow and Iavarone.

Maybe Vince McMahon wants to buy a racetrack.

Posted by richiebee Jun 26, 2008 12:55:45 AM

parsixfarms says:

OK, you've clarified certain "facts." To what end?? The facts also show that Dutrow has been fined/suspended four times in the past year alone. How many other trainers can say the same thing?

[DRF] now reports that Asmussen has lidocaine positive. Could one of your reporters kindly ask Jess Jackson, who claims he wants to clean the game up, why he uses this guy?

Posted by parsixfarms Jun 25, 2008 11:34:02 PM

waz says:

Steve, I'm curious about the 4 violations labeled:

"Necessitated late scratch"

Sounds like too much juice was given and they knew they woiuld get caught? Could these be innocent offenses?

Posted by waz Jun 25, 2008 11:17:54 PM

horserun says:

who will be the listed trainers in program in the Big Brown vs. Curlin Match Race !!!

Steve, your loyal followers have spoken and they are not happy with your slant of the most recent blog...

Posted by horserun Jun 25, 2008 11:16:50 PM

diceman says:

...I am not qualified to make any rational judgment about Dutrow's training ability, character and honesty. I will leave that difficult decison to a Higher Power than me, and to Racing Officials, Owners and the betting public.

However, I did read his written statemnt to the Congressiona Committee where he casually admitted to several serious training offenses, and as a result, he was suspended and required to pay large monetary fines. Incidentally, he did not appear before the Commitee in person thereby avoiding tough questions about his training methods and personal conduct...

Posted by Diceman Jun 25, 2008 11:00:25 PM

jrzingg says:

I bet the races, all I want is a level playing field. Any drug or no drug!

Posted by jrzingg Jun 25, 2008 10:56:04 PM

callmetony says:

i think a big problem is Dick Dutrow put a target on his back by the way he blowhearted during the triple crown . He and that penny stock crook Ivarone were not exactly acting in the most humble way during the triple crown run and on top of it the way he through Kent under the bus just made it worse .
Its like somones got it in for them now. Lets face it all of these guys are using some form of drugs legal or illegal . Its just the way its been for years just talk to any vet who works the backstretch . It is what it is .

Posted by Callmetony Jun 25, 2008 10:41:00 PM

bearcatbob says:

Steve, I understand you are trying to bring out the facts in the Dutrow situation but this is not a man who you want to be associated with as a defender of his. Remember, if he was caught 13 times, how many other infractions has he committed? I'm sure a lot of other posters will agree with me that I have no sympathy towards this guy. He brought this all upon himself and this latest drug test wouldnt be nearly as public if he had acted in a different way during his 10 weeks or so in the spotlight. Obviously with his past, he is not the brightest person because his best course of action would have been to show up do his work and go home, a Barclay Tagg type demanor rather than a loud and boistrous personality. I know he was just being himself, but its sad he doesnt change his ways with all the problems he has had. The comment about administering a drug that he doesnt know what its for, he just likes to give it is not something a repeat drug offender should say. he loses any sympathy to what others say or write about him right there.

Also, just saw Assmussen was caught cheating as well. Very disconcerning as a horseplayer and makes me think the industry as it is cannot police itself. Obviously whatever penalites are handed down are not severe enough as these are repeat offenders. Where there is smoke there is fire and just because you have never been convicted of a crime does not mean you havent committed one. Just because you have been convicted 13 times doesnt mean you havent cheated 14 times or more. And at 13 times, probably before that, you should lose all benefit of the doubt.

Posted by Bearcatbob Jun 25, 2008 10:40:55 PM

nathan_detroit says:

This record doesn't look too bad ... hey, at least I cashed a bet a few times when Mr. Dutrow’s horses suddenly ran 10-15 Beyer figures quicker off the claim

And Mr. Dutrow’s pal Mr. Ivarone? He was only fined $7,500, censured and suspended from the securities industry … (even though a dozen "associates" of his from A.R. Baron & Co were criminally indicted.)

Let's give P. Val another chance, too. Maybe he’ll get it right the 14th time around!

I am sure all of these clowns need love and hugs and nurturing -- no need to hold them accountable for their actions, is there?

Posted by nathan_detroit Jun 25, 2008 10:38:07 PM

matt_smith says:

steve--not for nothing, but my gosh if you had committed 13 instances of plagarism or 13 times you're comments were consindered slanderous durig your journalism career, would you still be writing for a reputable publibation like drf? I mean we all realize that the media is good to make 10 look like 100 and 13 look like 72, but this guy is just difficult to stomach. Hopefully this will make owners give their horses to trainers who train not medicate (Dr. Jellyfingers style) to victory. Either this or they should legalize all drugs and give everyone the same benefits, although this hardly would seem fair as these horses cannot refuse the needle, unlike their human athlete counterparts.

Posted by matt smith Jun 25, 2008 10:07:31 PM

tony says:

Even in the face of all this, he's still been fined or suspended for the 12 overages and the positive test for mepivicaine, not to mention the "forbidden injectible vitamin" uncovered in a barn search. That's merely the professional travails, and not taking into account his personal battles with drugs and some tempestuous behavior that led to a fine for initiation some kind of altercation.

I'm not a fan of his in any event, professionally, and maybe he'll never be man of the year either professionally or personally. But how do his transgressions stack up against other top name trainers in the bigger jurisdictions of the sport? Do they exceed what might be found among the top trainers in, say, California? Is Dutrow the main problem, or is he just the poster boy for a lot of ethically-challenged trainers and other folks within the sport?

I don't like him much, and I think there's got to be a way to clean up the sport with the humans. But at this moment, Jeremy Rose aggravates me more. The Sport of Kings is under siege, and the humans are incapable of helping themselves this summer.

Posted by Tony Jun 25, 2008 9:55:14 PM

kevin_munnelly says:

Dear Steve;

...[H]e only has 13 "real"violations rather than 72? He is one of the leading 'Juicers' of the last 10 years. I do love his 40 to 50% win rate off the claim and private purchases. His horses sure do show dramatic improvement when moved to his barn. I guess it must be hay.oats and water and better dental care for the horses. He is absolutely deadly when there is no holding barn such as in New Jersey. Last year favorites won at an astounding 45% at Monmouth because 4 trainers and i use the word cautiously won an unbelievable percentage of races. Bruce Levine, Todd Pletcher and Ric Dutrow were almost unbeatable. I believe that they know they can ship over there with no holding barn and "juice" to their hearts content...Last comment, Bruce Levine is over 50% at Monmouth this year and Wayne Catalano is over 60% at arlington running over 40 horses each. Don't you think that is a little over the historical norm? Sort of Like Barry Bonds with 73 homers. I guess i am a cynic. Take care . Your Garden city Neighbor Kevin

Posted by Kevin munnelly Jun 25, 2008 9:28:59 PM

saratoga_mike says:

Steve,

It almost seems like you're defending Dutrow? Or maybe you were just pointing out between his equine-related post-race positives Rick was fighting, smoking dope and bouncing checks. And I've never heard much in the way of remorse from him either. Thank God Big Brown lost the Belmont. This news is exactly what we BB detractors most feared.

Posted by Saratoga_Mike Jun 25, 2008 9:28:49 PM

super_d says:

I think the medication issue is horse racings "Global Warming". Frankly, I don't think it exists and it does not improve the performances of horses to a measurable degree. I'm so tired of this, there's so many factors that go into a winning horse that saying this is the factor they won or did well is not based on any true fact.

Posted by Super D Jun 25, 2008 9:26:27 PM

floppydog says:

Great reporting.

I have to look deep---deeeep---into my psyche to see why I always feel a little bit bad for Rick Dutrow, but until then I appreciate the fair clinical eye.

If there were a list of all the trainers who've used steroids and PEDs, we might be following it right up the steps of the National Museum of Racing.

Posted by Floppydog Jun 25, 2008 9:23:37 PM

william_j_le_petomane says:

The chart is interesting, but provides absolutely no context. Are there many trainers on the top rung of the profession (or anywhere on the ladder) that have a similar record or does Mr. Dutrow stand alone?

We need some perspective.

Posted by William J. Le Petomane Jun 25, 2008 9:06:20 PM

dunque says:

Steve - I understand you are laying out the facts here and not taking a stand one way or the other but it's fair to ask - Where do you stand in re: Dutrow (Richard)? What's your feeling about how he represents this game? What kind of respect he treats it with? Honesty wise, how do you think he stacks up vs. his peers? On a scale of 1-10 regarding questionable practices, where would you rank R. Dutrow? Vs., for instance, J. Jerkens, T. Pletcher, R. Schosberg and P. Reynolds, just to randomly pull out a few names.

Since you arguably know more about racing than those of us who can't make it our full time profession it seems fair to ask what your viewpoint is regarding this guy. Not what his stats are.

Posted by Dunque Jun 25, 2008 8:57:22 PM

drs says:

Steve,

...Who cares whether its 13 or 72. Anything more than 1 or 2 is ridiculous to me. Barns that run a tight ship and are honest don't have these issues it just ticks me off that you could do anything but critisize him because that is what he deserves.

And now what do you know, Asmussen has ANOTHER positive. I mean where do we get to the point as a sport and say this is just ridiculous and unacceptable. I'm sure trainers have been getting away with using illegal medication for years but that doesn't make it right. We should be leveling the playing field making it fair for the honest hard working trainer. Not catering to dishonest losers just because they have horses that fill your card for the racing secretary.

Posted by DRS Jun 25, 2008 8:33:51 PM

arcstats says:

...My question is - where do you stand on the medication issue? Are you in support for a total ban on all medications, race day medications, leave the setup as it currently exists, or somewhere in between?

Considering you are an active professional horseplayer, you have obviously been able to reconcile the current medication environment in relation to your betting activity. How are you able to do this with any level of confidence in today's game?

Posted by Arcstats Jun 25, 2008 8:33:24 PM

the_geoman says:

Now that they've nailed Asmussen, too, we have to be honest here: they both have rap sheets involving drugs. With the sport under the microscope right now, things look dirtier than ever.

Posted by The Geoman Jun 25, 2008 8:14:16 PM

nelson_kriebel says:

He is a slime ball and is one of the people taking the "sport" out of the sport of kings.

Posted by nelson kriebel Jun 25, 2008 8:04:26 PM

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About

Steven Crist has been the Publisher and a columnist for Daily Racing Form since 1998. Previously, he covered racing for The New York Times from 1981-1990; was founding editor-in-chief of The Racing Times in 1991-92; and a vice-president of the New York Racing Association from 1994-97. He is the author of several books including "Betting on Myself" and "Exotic Betting."

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