Turns out that the outrider who manhandled Derby winner Rich Strike yesterday is Greg Blasi – that’s Blasi, as in the brother of Scott, Steve Asmussen’s assistant trainer caught saying the following in a 2013 PETA investigation:
“Fuck these horses. These motherfuckers. They’ll fucking break your fucking heart every fucking day, these cocksuckers. There’s always something wrong with ’em.”
“You ought to see these limping motherfuckers; I see this son [of] a bitch out here jogging every day.”
“You could not believe how many [horses] they hurt and kill before they ever even get to the racetrack.”
And there was more.
A farrier working on 5-year-old Nehro, one of Asmussen’s charges: “That’s all missing! His foot is a little bitty nub. [H]e lost Z-bars on both feet multiple times until he had bloody holes in the bottom of his feet. He doesn’t even have a pulse in this one, and he’s barely got one in the…. Stick your thumb in there. Right there in that frog. No, it’s been like that for three months…it rotted.”
Blasi: “[L]isten…I know the fucker hurts.” Farrier: “Let me show you this hole. This is treacherous. We’ve tried superglue in that hole.”
Blasi, to Nehro: “Quit being such an asshole…aggravating son of a bitch.” A few days after this exchange, Nehro died of colic. Blasi: “I have seen a lot of shit. That is the most violent fucking death I have ever seen.”
Blasi on “shockwave therapy”: “It fucking hurts like hell. I can’t believe them fucking sons a bitches can take it.”
Blasi on “electric shockers”: “I’d tell [jockey Ricardo Santana Jr], ‘You got the maquina [shocker]?’ ‘Boss, I got the maquina.'”
Blasi, after losing an underperformer – a “rat” – to a claim: “I could just do a fucking cartwheel right now.”
And here’s Greg again…
How proud Mr. and Mrs. Blasi must be.
I mentioned that interview with the undercover a few weeks back. Maybe it’s time for a repeat performance.
Expose and educate is an excellent mantra!!!!
#EndHorseracingNOW
#HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
Wow. His brother’s quotes make Chubs here look like a freaking equine humanitarian. No wonder everyone in racing is running to his defense: “He shoulda sawed on his mouth and hit him on the face even MORE. The Derby winner was clearly trying to KILL THEM ALL!”
Right, Kelly. You know it was just a good thing that RICH STRIKE wasn’t a rattlesnake or a fire breathing dragon instead of a horse that had just won the most famous two minutes in bloodsports with thousands of people watching!!!
Yeah, or a Great White Shark who was just trying to avoid being interviewed by some other fool on a horse: “Whatever you do, Chubs, don’t let go of Jaws, here! If you do, he might swim away and attack and kill thousands of spectators wearing stupid hats.”:)
I watched the next morning video of Rich Strike being covered and bandaged. Horse looks sore on his front legs. I would not be surprised if they rode that poor baby into the ground and he disappeared just like many of them do.
Who knows what lurks when the cameras are off and everyone went home???
Nancy, I wrote a letter to the Roanoke Times that was published yesterday. A large part of my letter was devoted
to Asmussen and the Peta video. Unfortunately,that entire section was deleted without any explaination. Like you, I am frustrated as hell but don’t know where to turn.
Yes Rick, the men who make this their so called living …. did so because it’s so much easier than working a while collar sophisticated job,they got into this racket because you don’t need a high level education.
What a lovely pair of boys the Blasi’s raised. Sadists, possibly sociopaths. No emotions, no care, no compassion for any living thing. They should take that “shockwave” device and use it on them. And Asmussen too. They’re the rats, not the poor horses.
I just cannot get over all these comments. Have you looked at the real story? There are a lot more photos, to look at. That horse was biting Greg and his pony and this is how you treat him? You guys are the losers. Nothing more than a damn cult with a loser for a leader And by the way, don’t forget to delete my comment. Since the truth hurts
Are you kidding? Do you really believe that a “grown man” that is supposedly a “horseman” deserves sympathy for not having the common sense to let the jockey handle his mount, RICH STRIKE, before the interview of the “winning” jockey? Do you really think that the horse is a big meanie and that the horse deserves to be slapped around by an aggressive outrider?
So you don’t have whatever it takes to give your real name, but you want us to believe that you have any credibility at all???
He was not abusing Rich Strike he was doing an excellent job of trying to control him to stop him biting the pony & himself which is incredibly dangerous. Post the whole video of RS biting the pony & outrider repeatedly until he rears & almost flips over. Clearly none of you have ever had to deal with a young stud colt – discipline is important. That’s all this was – not any abuse. And quoting his brother in an article that has zero to do with the quotes is disingenuous at best intentionally misleading at worst. I’m not involved in horseracing but I own a horse & if he bites me (which very rarely happens – usually when demanding a treat) you better believe he gets a hard smack on the nose – horses can be dangerous animals – they are not dogs. Back off of the outrider- he did the correct thing 100% to protect himself, his pony, the jockey & Rich Strike
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Myguygus. You are entitled to your thoughts even though I disagree with you 100%!!!!
I have enough experience with horses and ponies to know that you should always be thinking of what they are going to do and what they might do in any given situation BEFORE THEY DO IT, and then take proper care to prevent the undesirable behaviors. The same goes for cattle, but that is another story. This whole thing of taking control of RICH STRIKE away from the jockey SOONER THAN WAS PRUDENT was a bad idea. Go back and read the comment made by “Marie” because she knows what she is saying.
You are MISSING the Obvious point. He should have given the horse time to unwind from an extremely adrenaline charged moment.
Bonnie, actually that’s probably what most people get out of racing is the adrenaline rush besides some people just love to be cruel to animals.
I remember reading the article about Nehro when it happened. When a horse dies of colic the horse will implode, and it is a terrible way to die. It was probably a fluke that the horse who won the derby yesterday. The pony rider holding him and trying to get him off his pony was not torturing the derby winner, he kept trying to bite the pony. Which is probably a juvenile thing because a lot of the pony’s have a leather flap that is laid across their neck so that the juvenile runner can’t bite the pony. Some racers have even bitten horses while they are racing and the horse is usually banned from the establishment.
How bizarre that racing & its supporters are upset about non-life threatening bites by Rich Strike (in defense of the outrider punching RS in the face and yanking repeatedly on his mouth ) but will ignore the literal thousands of racehorses who suffer broken limbs training/racing and are euthanized. Bizarre but typical.
That said, this industry SETS HORSES UP for injury, dangerous situations, death – both the racehorses and the ponies. The outrider’s horse didn’t deserve to be in a position to be hurt by the hyped-up, just-turned-3-year-old colt and Rich Strike didn’t deserve to have his sensitive mouth jerked around nor to be punched in the face. The humans who find employment in racing and those who support it are solely to blame for this sick and unnecessary occurrence.
Since Blasi is an outrider, his horse isn’t going to wear the leather neck protection the ponies wear…and typical of the industry, they didn’t safeguard that horse but instead, put him at an increased risk of harm.
And once again, by putting as a priority what is wanted by the industry and media (an interview with the jockey) and NOT considering the colt who is all fired up after JUST finishing running in a “herd”, the industry put all four in a very risky and precarious position. It’s just unbelievable – I know even when my horses run around in their pastures, I leave them a bit to settle before I enter their space.
Common sense, decency, compassion, and knowledge of equine behavior are all sorely lacking in the horseracing industry.
No empathy for RICH STRIKE, especially since he crossed the finish line first ahead of EPICENTER. In the end, I would be surprised if EPICENTER is treated with any empathy, respect or kindness. They’re all exploited horses that will be treated like a commodity for the tax write-offs and such.
Amen, Joy.
Mr. Blasi lost his temper because the horse was not conforming to the script!
His reaction exacerbated the behavior.
P.S. I find it interesting Blasi is the brother of Asmussen’s assistant and their entry was the favorite, Epicenter.
Was Blasi just a tad annoyed already with this “outsider” denying the glory and all that money to Epicenter by 3/4 of a length?!!!
Well said, Joy!
Okay, I took another look at the winner trying to bite the pony. At first I did not see the guy hitting the winner, but taking another look at it, it appears that he does hit him and grabbed his nose at one point and trying to push the nose downward. I do not think he punched his nose. I noticed right after they got off the track and the jockey got off someone pulled off the “tie down on the tongue”. This is a very cruel thing. Allot of horse’s tongues are cut nearly off and/or damaged so bad that it needs to be sewn back together.
I have learned not to argue with “the abusers” as it is senseless. They will never quit the business until they are totally broke, dying, or are arrested and forbidden to train, bet or buy their way out of some crime. This is their livelihood, their passion for money, all they know and live by. The only reason they are sad when their horse(s) die is because they were not properly insured, or all the races that horse will no longer run in and bring home the check.
I have learned my lesson not to try and convince “these people” by trying to convince people that the Big Lick – Tennessee Walkers, that they are torturing their horses. They do not believe it one bit. They have men and women, children, teens, young adults, middle aged and old people who show and/or attend the shows. They put burning substances on the front ankles of the horses which are on thick pads nailed to their front hooves. The burning substance actually does burn their ankles and leaves scars. These people do not care, it’s all they have known all their lives, and they do not care. They threaten show judges, and anyone that threatens their livelihood. One of the protesters was nearly ran over as she stood on the sideline as the person driving a fifth wheel truck hauling a trailer with about 10 horses in it. She was on the sideline and the truck swerved toward her, she had to move back and at the last moment he pulled back the truck. Needless to say they have police show up at their shows because so much happens at the shows. The police witnessed it and a report was made out. The woman pressed charges and went to court. She was granted $25,000.
The abuser didn’t even blink an eye paying out that much. Billygoboy (Facebook) is actually Mr. Clant Seay from Oxford Mississippi. He is the coordinator against Big Lick. He has a lawsuit against a couple of people when he was at a show and he was filming the horses, who actually attacked Mr. Seay trying to persuade him from not filming. Mr. Seay had another lawsuit against one of the owners and was awarded, by the court, $25,000. They don’t care. It’s their “property”. They can do whatever they want to with it.
The best thing you can do is persuade people who attend the races and see the torture. Billboards and the moving billboards are an excellent idea. T-shirts, hats etc are all excellent ideas. Try not to get into a brawl with someone who is dead set against your beliefs, there is no reasoning with them. Look, you have convinced me to come over to your side and your beliefs. You cannot argue with the abusers, they are all looking for another Man O’ War or Secretariat. We need you to come to Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Ocala. I hope I did not step on anyones toes.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your thoughtful comment including reminders of the horrific torture the Big Lick horses endure – humans make earth a LIVING HELL for countless animals!
That fat bastard can’t manage his own horse let alone lead another properly. Were there no repercussions for this display??
If Churchill Downs does anything, I will be VERY surprised. The trainer of Rich Strike is already busy defending Blas’s behavior. Ranks closed, end of story. Very sad and on national TV too.
We all know here that “this too shall pass”. No doubt in my mind.
The horse should be removed into protective care. The owners and that imbecile Blasi should face charges, pending forfeiture of the title. This is reprehensible. NOBODY should get away treating a horse in such a manner.
It is well established that a cool down period is very necessary after strenuous exercise. It allows a gradual return to a more normal heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate as well as using up the hormones such as adrenaline released during the high demand of the activity.
Likewise, a warmup period is necessary before strenuous activity to prevent a sudden demand on the heart, etc.
Horses do not get any warmup before they are sprung from the gate and a huge and sudden demand is made on the heart and other functions which can be hugely stressful and dangerous.
Race horses are allowed to gallop out after a race and RD probably did after his prior races. This time, however, he was denied any cooldown because the idiots had an interview to do come hell or high water…
These people are outrageous. They are all about the money prestige and looking good.
They are not horsemen by any stretch.
Thank you, Rose. As far as “looking good” in the Derby, Blasi as well as the rest of them really missed the mark on that one!!!!
I also wonder how many of the jockeys used “buzzers” in the starting gate. I wonder how many volts of electricity are in the buzzers that the jockeys use on the racehorses and how much of a negative impact that has on the internal organs of the horses, especially their hearts.
I didn’t know that these people in horseracing could be that low-life sadistic until I saw the undercover video of Gary Stevens, the jockey, and D. Wayne Lukas, the trainer, talking about how all the buzzers sounded like something resembling a certain kind of musical rhythm when the the starting gates opened. I got the impression that all of the jockeys were using the buzzers in whatever race it was that they were talking about in the undercover video. Of course, they both laughed about it, too!
Exactly, Rose.
This KILLS me — it’s so heartbreaking to know these HORSES are in the same realm as these horrific human evil MONSTERS — we MUST SHUT DOWN Horseracing — we just MUST
We hope Steve Asmussen never has a horse win the Derby. Remember Midnight Bourbon, Steve? You couldn’t give him a decent chance with a decent, caring Jockey. Just one. Shame on you. Your guy Blasi hit Rich Strike and we hope he is fined heavily for it.
I’ve successfully raised and trained Quarter horses most of my life. Horses, for the most part, are not very intelligent. They are, however, unbelievably sensitive and aware. I’ve had some that, I am positive, could read my mind.
From the very beginning of my career they taught me – patience. If you do not possess much patience you will not be successful training or even taking care of one of these magnificent creatures. I am absolutely truthful when I say that some horses can read your mind and Rich Strike is one of these. I believe that RS could read Greg Blasi’s mind and bit him because Greg, obviously, is just too stupid to live.
Jib Slater, “…too stupid to live.” That’s hilarious! There was a trainer of Western stock horses that said when handling and teaching a horse from the ground that the thought process behind his method was that “I can come over to your house but you can’t come over to mine.” So the human, Greg Blasi, came over to the horse’s house, and RICH STRIKE said, “Okay, dude, you came over to my house uninvited and unannounced! Now, watch out! I’m comin’ to your house!!!!!!”