Within the USTA’s “Fines and Suspensions Bulletin” were these:
“Investigative barn and truck/trailer searches were conducted on Apr 7 at Rosecroft Raceway. During these searches, a hypodermic needle and syringe containing an unknown liquid was found and confiscated belonging to trainer Adrian Wisher. The contents were sent for analysis to Industrial Laboratories, which reported the presence of Sildenafil and Tadalafil. As a result, Wisher is fined $1,500 and suspended 60 days.”
And what, pray tell, are Sildenafil and Tadalafil? Drugs primarily used to treat erectile dysfunction (in humans, of course). In other words, this is (potential or otherwise) first-class doping. And that suspension, it appears, was reduced to 15 days. 15 days. Those same searches that day found those same drugs (in, of course, “several unlabeled bottles”) in the possession of trainer Eugene Robinson. Robinson, too, got off with but a wrist slap.
Then, under “Whipping Violations”:
Harrington, Jul 1: “Driver Trae Porter is fined $1,000 for causing welts on the pacers Cherron B and My Luckydog during the 10th and 12th races respectively.” The judges added: “Any additional instances of whipping infractions by Mr. Porter will result in major fines and expanded suspensions.”
So, the judges need “additional instances” of causing welts to hit him harder (pardon the pun) when he did it to two horses on the same day? (Those two horses, by the way, finished 2nd and 1st respectively, so I guess these were productive welts.) And not even a perfunctory suspension here. Worse yet, this unmitigated scumbag left welts at this same track just a few weeks earlier. Voice your outrage:
Delaware Harness Racing Commission: 302-698-4599
Executive Director Robert Schiewe: 312-961-5688; robert.schiewe@delaware.gov
Harrington Raceway Judges Office: 302-342-3001
USTA “Integrity Hotline”: 800-887-USTA
Absolutely, Patrick. Keep up the good fight.
How about eliminate horseracing itself, Ramona.
If AI technology can produce driverless taxi’s and semi-tractor trailers, why not do that for horseracing and harness racing , and eliminate all of those abusive drivers altogether.
Rose, it’s sickening. Horses didn’t ask to be brought into this evil world. These lazy people in this crapola industry need to be made to go work a REAL job.
The kill pens are always full of Standardbreds from those that can barely stand to those that look healthy and in good weight.
The horse business is one disgusting business where animal cruelty is not only tolerated it flourishes because there are no consequences.
There are several Standardbred mares and geldings available for purchase at Stroud Oklahoma Kill Pen Horses. Just the other day, there was a beautiful 26-year-old Standardbred stallion available for purchase also. I was surprised that he and some of the mares were in good flesh and their coats were shiny. Usually, most of them look like the owners decided the horses didn’t need good care before they dumped them in the slaughter pipeline. There was also a Standardbred mare that looks like she could be pregnant and she doesn’t have a freeze brand on her neck. Most of the Standardbreds that are available for purchase there do have freeze brands on their necks.
The prices are in the $950 (USD) to $1,050 range on some of these vulnerable Standardbreds; (Stroud Oklahoma Kill Pen Horses/Prices, online).
It’s sickening that these beautiful animals are just chattel to so many people.
Harness racing and the folks involved in it don’t even WANT to clean themselves up and play right. They laugh at the TB people for allowing HISA to take over. They like these half-ass rules that they half-ass implement.
They don’t care about their horses, when they’re done, they can “Amish them out”, the industrie’s guaranteed dumping grounds. Heck the Amish are the predominantly the main producers and supporters of the STB industry now, otherwise the average American could care less.