The morally-challenged track announcer at Evangeline described what happened to Auntie Row Thursday as a “tumble” – and he actually doubled-down on that word:
Then, this week’s batch of whipping (read: cruelty) “violations” from harness world…
Hawthorne, Dec 7: “Driver Matt Avenatti is hereby assessed a civil penalty of $200 for excessive use of the whip while driving Alvin Hanover.”
Same track, same day, same last name (brother): “Driver Wyatt Avenatti is hereby assessed a civil penalty of $200 for excessive use of the whip while driving Keyser Soze.”
Monticello, Dec 9: “Driver Bryan Emanuel Quevedo is hereby assessed a fine of $100 for using the whip after the finish while driving Ynotthishos.”
Yonkers, Dec 10: “Driver Colin Kelly did use the whip more than 3 times in succession on a horse [Pink Floyd Hanover] that was not visibly responding. Kelly is hereby suspended for 7 days and fined the sum of $500.”
Monticello, Dec 11: “Driver Daniel Harvey is hereby assessed a fine of $250 and suspended for 3 days for using the whip in an excessive manner while driving Rollover Baythoven.”
Rosecroft, Dec 11: “Driver Deshawn Sample is fined $100 for excessive use of the whip after the 3/4 pole and in the stretch while driving A Rooma Zoom Zoom.”
And finally, this for driver Frank Tsipouras at Harrah’s, Oct 26:
“Frank Tsipouras did have an exaggerated urging motion not restricted to wrist and elbow action only and did raise his arm above shoulder height in the stretch while driving Uncle Coz in the 5th race. Also, in the 7th race, while driving Cheese Omelet, Mr. Tsipouras…was flailing the lines over his horse’s back in the stretch in a careless and reckless manner. Mr. Tsipouras has been given a 60-day suspension.”
They add: “This is Mr. Tsipouras’ 7th urging violation in 2025. Future urging violations will result in more severe penalties.”
“Urging.”
But wait, there’s more. Same track, Nov 30: “Frank Tsipouras did have an exaggerated whipping motion not restricted to elbow and wrist action only and did raise his arm above shoulder height in the stretch while driving Drinkin Again. Mr. Tsipouras has been given a $1,000 fine and a 6-month suspension.” And once again, they add: “This is [now] Mr. Tsipouras’ 8th whipping or urging violation in 2025. Future whipping or urging violations will result in more severe penalties.”
This is horseracing.
RIP, Auntie Row Thursday!
An Arkansas-bred Thoroughbred mare born in 2015 named LADY PRIEST is available at Stroud Oklahoma Kill Pen Horses; they also show a video of her on Facebook and say that her paperwork is in order. (Her race record is on Equibase.)
Henry, you know what would END this evil immediately…losing their slave labor(stall cleaners,exercise riders,groomers etc) it’s interesting that Donald isn’t deporting certain illegals (evil horse industry) wealthy owners paying the Donald administration to look the other way.I’m one of the zillions of Donald Trump haters….so no…..it’s not about condoning him. It’s about finding the fastest way to end this evil animal abuse! Animals have always been first in MY book! This scumbag industry loses their illegal slave labor…they are through 😏
I believe the only way this ends is to aggressively portray the decision makers as contributing to animal abuse. The decision makers are elected officials. The majority of the voting public could not possibly care less about horse racing. The public needs to know that a large number of jobs provided by subsidies pay so little that at Colonial last summer the chaplain provided gifts bags with basic needs items such as soap and toothpaste. Maybe an infomercial on a major network showing some of these replays and connecting the politicians that allow it would embarrass them and put pressure on them to rethink their position.
The announcer sounds so casual in his tone of voice when he is obviously witnessing a horse fall and roll multiple times in such a horrific way. He sounds like he has no understanding of the seriousness of the abuse, the brutality, the cruelty to the horse, AUNTIE ROW. He doesn’t sound one bit concerned about the jockey hitting the ground with his whole body either.
Does this kind of nonchalance and insensitivity under these egregiously cruel circumstances make him a psychopath or a sociopath? I think so.