Steve Asmussen accused of animal cruelty by PETA

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Originally Posted by Tom

That is the story here, not PETA.
The full video must be obtained and viewed.
Whether it takes an act of Congress or what - the illegals working makes this a federal investigation.

Go stand by the railroad bridge or highway entrance ramp in Stamford, CT and there are 50 to 100 immigrant men everyday waiting around for work. There are probably more than a few illegal immigrants. Many of them get picked up to do work everyday -- probably paid in cash. Everyone knows it. The feds surely know it. If the feds wanted to do something they would have done it by now.

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Originally Posted by Tall One

Both great points here. From a wagering and horse's health standpoint, one of the most disturbing quotes from the peta clip was the girl saying the bettors have no clue how sore and drugged up these horses really are.

Ignorant bettors are the lifeblood of the smart money.

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Originally Posted by jkakos1

Closed my betting account today. I want no part of this sport. And what really makes me sick are guys like PA and CJ who proudly proclaim they knew it all along. You know this, and you still support this "sport"?. Shame on you.

The best way to be an agent for change is from within. Nice cop out.

You might want to take a page from the HANA playbook -- or even join HANA or maybe even go to work within the racing industry.

If you want to change things then get involved.

Closing your betting account won't do a damn bit of good. In fact, by betting at least you help provide money for race horse retirement.

But now that your account is closed, the least you could do is take the money you would have lost this year and donate it to an race horse retirement home.

[highnote]

Originally Posted by olddaddy

I dont consider myself an expert regarding this game but playing it for 50 years made me think I knew quite a bit. The things that blew my mind was stevens and lukas and visually seeing the cruelty to these animals. I knew jocks used the battery but I would have never thought they would think about it in a joking manner. And then one of the most highly regarded trainers of our time, the man called the coach, finds shocking a horse to be no big deal and is amusing. The cruelty is probably something I hide in the back of my mind because I really never wanted to think about it.

As I played today, I looked ay my dog and thought to myself, I am her advocate because she needs one and here I am supporting people that feel so much different than me. As I am typing this I am also looking at tomorrows form, a hypocrite I am.

Whipping is less cruel than buzzing? Logically, buzzing seems less painful than whipping. But I'm not a horse and the ones I've been around didn't talk about it.

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Originally Posted by thaskalos

Yes...I knew that the horses ran sore and overly medicated...but I was SHOCKED to see a stakes horse still kept racing even though its trainer openly admitted that the horse had "no foot left". And you say that this didn't surprise YOU?

The video did not show Nehro's foot. So when they said he had "no foot left" it is hard to know what they meant. It might have meant that he did not have enough foot remaining on which to nail a shoe. I don't think he meant he had "no foot left" literally.

It sounded to me like they tried to do what they could to keep the horse in racing condition. After all, keeping the horses on the track are what pays the bills.

It sounds like the horse had reached the point where there wasn't much more they could do to keep him running and that it was time (probably past time) for a layoff.

[Not4Love]

I also have closed all my accounts. Played for 35 years!

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by highnote

I just watched the video. Stevens didn't say which race he used the buzzer in. I got the feeling he was talking about his early days.

Well...let's see now:

You got the feeling that Stevens was talking about his early days...you got the feeling that the whip is worse on a horse than a battery...and you also got the feeling that the connections did what they had to do to keep Nehro in training.

Look how consistent you are in your "feelings". Always siding with the connections.

I hope your horses -- or your betting selections -- are as consistent.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by highnote

I just watched the video. Stevens didn't say which race he used the buzzer in. I got the feeling he was talking about his early days.

I read 380 posts before I watched the video. Frankly, I thought the video was going to be much worse. Anyone who knows anything about racing would know that there was not much new in that video.

It was an "agenda" piece. A real documentary would have shown all sides of racing.

It is hard for me to be persuaded by PETA's position. While watching it, I would recommend that you consider the source.

Race horses are generally very well taken care of. Would it be better for these horses to run wild and be in constant fear of being attacked by some carnivorous stalker and then be torn to bits piece by piece while be devoured alive?

The world is a tough place. That's the reality.

That said, when it comes to the training of racehorses, there is always room for improvement. If the PETA piece raises awareness and horses are treated better then that would be a good thing.

Whoever worked with Asmussen for that long of a time compiling video and audio, supposedly for 3 or 4 months? They MUST have seen at least one groom or stable worker who was showing a "caring touch" towards a horse. Asmussen has a TON of horses so he has a ton of employees, someone at some point, you would think, was on that tape loving on his or her horse...yet, that never made the cut.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Whoever worked with Asmussen for that long of a time compiling video and audio, supposedly for 3 or 4 months? They MUST have seen at least one groom or stable worker who was showing a "caring touch" towards a horse. Asmussen has a TON of horses so he has a ton of employees, someone at some point, you would think, was on that tape loving on his or her horse...yet, that never made the cut.

So?

I turn on my news every night...and I never see an act of kindness reported. It isn't considered "news".

No one is saying that there are no "kind" horsemen left in the game. But with the game's checkered past...you would think that the industry would have made a more sustained effort to get rid of the "bad apples" -- so the "industry" could at least give the impression that it cares about the game-image that they portray to the fans.

No sustained effort has been made to clean up the game...so, here we are.

It's all good...IMO. We need a little "shakeup" every few years...

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Originally Posted by thaskalos

Well...let's see now:

You got the feeling that Stevens was talking about his early days...you got the feeling that the whip is worse on a horse than a battery...and you also got the feeling that the connections did what they had to do to keep Nehro in training.

Look how consistent you are in your "feelings". Always siding with the connections.

I hope your horses -- or your betting selections -- are as consistent.

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Everyone sure is a hurry to throw the book at the connections before anyone has heard their side.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by highnote

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Everyone sure is a hurry to throw the book at the connections before anyone has heard their side.

Yes...but, instead of telling us his "side"...Asmussen fired his assistant.

What "feeling" do you get from THAT move?

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Yes...but, instead of telling us his "side"...Asmussen fired his assistant.

What "feeling" do you get from THAT move?

I bet he didnt want to fire him, but there was such a firestorm of bad publicity, he had no choice. It was a "bad pub" firing and not a "this guy does a bad job so i have to replace him with someone who does a better job" firing.

[highnote]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Yes...but, instead of telling us his "side"...Asmussen fired his assistant.

What "feeling" do you get from THAT move?

I get the feeling we don't know the whole story.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

I bet he didnt want to fire him, but there was such a firestorm of bad publicity, he had no choice. It was a "bad pub" firing and not a "this guy does a bad job so i have to replace him with someone who does a better job" firing.

Of course he didn't want to fire him. But why would he fire him before the "real truth" came out?

The poster Highnote suggested to me that we shouldn't "throw the book at the connections", before hearing their side.

Well...isn't that what Asmussen did? Didn't Asmussen "throw the book at his assistant"...before telling us his "side of the story"?

If the video can be refuted...then why the rash decision to can Blasi?

[highnote]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Of course he didn't want to fire him. But why would he fire him before the "real truth" came out?

The poster Highnote suggested to me that we shouldn't "throw the book at the connections", before hearing their side.

Well...isn't that what Asmussen did? Didn't Asmussen "throw the book at his assistant"...before telling us his "side of the story"?

If the video can be refuted...then why the rash decision to can Blasi?

Do two wrongs make a right?