Some recent harness rulings…
Scioto, Aug 15: “While driving Lakeside Buddy, Koltin Noble did use the whip which resulted in blood being on the stifle.” Fined $750, but “penalty will be reduced to $500 if not appealed.” Guess what – no appeal. So, $500 (and no suspension) for drawing blood.
Topsham Fair, Aug 15: “While driving Midnight Macneill, Jac Crochere’s elbow was above shoulder several times and he struck a horse that was not moving forward.” Fined $200.
Running Aces, Aug 16: “The Big Bomb was sent to the test barn and it was noted by the State Vet that a welt appeared on [her] right rear. Driver Brian Detgen is hereby fined $500 and issued a 3-day suspension.”
And while I don’t have a ruling yet on this one, the stewards at Running Aces say that on Aug 13, “Driver Nick Roland was summoned to the office to discuss welts on the horse Apple Juice.” Nick Roland is a serial animal abuser who should be in jail: welts (in consecutive races); welts; welts; welts; welts; and “kicking a horse.” By the way, in Apple’s very next race, Aug 20 (at RA), her driver was the aforementioned welter Brian Detgen.
(For anyone who thinks I’m being hyperbolic about jail, here is the relevant Minnesota cruelty law: “No person shall overdrive, overload, torture, cruelly beat, neglect, or unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate, or kill any animal, or cruelly work any animal when it is unfit for labor, whether it belongs to that person or to another person.”)
Then these from the flats…
The chart note for Maximum Return in the 7th at Evangeline Friday: “broke stride early, hit the rail, was eased and walked off.” But that’s only part of the story. Maximum may have been “eased,” but the jockey, Kevin Roman, rode her to the end – 106 lengths back. Now get this: This was the two-year-old’s very first time under the whip. Vile.
Same day, in the 4th at Retama, Kelly Ghosted Me “dueled, stopped, [suffered] heat exhaustion, walked off.” “Heat exhaustion,” huh? According to the chart, the temp during that race was 99 degrees. But because Texas tracks have access to taxpayer dollars and are thus able to pay first-last, jockey Luis Vivanco made damn sure the three-year-old Kelly – again, suffering from heat exhaustion – crossed the wire for a piece of the pie.
A certain Humane Society (which has 100 Million in surplus funds), should be encouraged to release some of those funds to hire student lawyers with the purpose to oppose the the wicked and the vile. Using the courts to wield and apply appropriate punishments would discourage the repugnant because the courts would have to render moral decisions and the students would gain immeasurable experience on doing courtroom combat and wisdom. Abusers who routinely flaunt their evils with impunity would not like to face legal scrutiny especially if prison sentences are a result of court opinions.
The stewards (if they had any moral courage) would not only inform these miscreants of their race track penalties but would inform the abusers, “We have referred your offenses to the Attorney General’s office for further judicial opinion and punishments.”
“Moreover, security will escort you to your barn and supervise the removal of your personal belongings within the time limit of 1 hour.” It is truly egregious that racetrack families who claim to love horses are useless and deserve public contempt for their indifference to the mental, physical sufferings and agonies endured by murdered thoroughbreds.
Nobody can claim to love horses when they lean on the rail and watch racehorses dying because of malicious and intentional abuse and only a monster could utter such a malignant lie, Only a Monster and Nothing but a Monster!
Q Why is it that the laws are not being enforced on the criminal animal abusers you mentioned above?
I agree with you that these serial abusers should be put in jail!!!!!
Filing criminal charges against the four drivers as well as the two jockeys is more than appropriate!!!!!
Drivers: 1) Koltin Noble, 2) Jac Crochere, 3) Brian Detgen, 4) Nick Rowland, and
Jockeys: 1) Kevin Roman, 2) Luis Vivanco.
They deserve real punishment!!!!!
And the racing Stewards who let them do what they did are definitely not innocent!!!!!
Shouldn’t the aforementioned Minnesota law apply to the 50 states, US territories and all around this world? If I left any out ,it goes for those also.