Jun

30

Kudos to Suffolk

by Barry Roos
June 30, 2008 | 1 Comment

Suffolk Downs over the years has been plagued with bad management, an ancient plant, and a legislature bent on not approving anything which may actually enhance racing and guarantee survival. That being said, the last change in ownership finally has yielded some positive results. The new owner Richard Fields has put in place a management [...]

Jun

28

Shocker: A trainer with 72 rulings has bad test. IEAH contemplates firing Dutrow.

by Barry Roos
June 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Truth really is stranger than fiction. You wonder why companies employ PR firms, image consultants and people to put out the fires which spring up in the course of doing business. You always want to put your best face forward to the press and the public. The problem with IEAH stable seems to be they [...]

Jun

25

Santa Anita Decision – a win for artificial surfaces

by Barry Roos
June 25, 2008 | 7 Comments

I was quite shocked that Santa Anita made the move to install Pro-Ride synthetic racing surface. Truthfully, I figured with the Magna stock prices falling fast, they would bag the idea and go back to a conventional dirt surface. With the Breeder’s Cup around the corner, this move is a surprising one, but certainly a [...]

Jun

23

Does IEAH no drug plan also mean no Corticosteroids?

by Barry Roos
June 23, 2008 | 2 Comments

Interesting headline grab today by the IEAH Stable. Those guys love being in the news don’t they? No drugs, except for Lasix they decree. Interesting, but a bit vague. Does no mean “no”, or does no mean nothing you can test for?   Winstrol and anabolic steroids are getting the wraith of the general public, but [...]

Jun

20

Can we restore the Secretariat Belmont footage?

by Barry Roos
June 20, 2008 | 8 Comments

Ok, we are at a tough place in the history of Thoroughbred Racing. We can make it a better, safer more honest sport. First off we need to keep Congress out the sport and self regulate before it’s too late. But that isn’t what this posting is about. We also need a great PR campaign [...]

Jun

19

Phar Lap Mystery Solved

by Barry Roos
June 19, 2008 | 2 Comments

Phar Lap, the greatest horse in the world died suddenly days after winning the Agua Caliente Handicap in 1932. The Mexican race was at the time North America’s richest race. The movie Phar Lap was in this writer’s opinion the finest racing movie ever.   I know, a lot of you like Seabiscuit, and as fun [...]

Jun

17

Thoroughbred Safety Committee – Ok First Step, More Needed

by Barry Roos
June 17, 2008 | 4 Comments

The Thoroughbred Safety Committee made their first recommendations. Ban steroids and Toe Grabs and rules around whips. Not a bad first step, but more needs to be done. The ban on steroids will work fine with honest horsemen who abide by the rules. The problem is that the lowlifes will continue to find non-testable alternatives [...]

Jun

14

128 Pounds Can’t Stop Curlin

by Barry Roos
June 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Trainer Steve Asmussen has a job to do, that job is to train Curlin.  A big part of that job is protecting his big red train. So he has to complain when racing secretaries pile a lot of wait on Curlin.  The truth of the matter is that Curlin could have carried 138 and a [...]

Jun

13

Winning Colors’ filly wins debut at Churchill

by Barry Roos
June 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Nice to see Winning Colors has what appears to be a nice juvenile filly in Ocean Colors. She won at first asking today at Churchill, completing the 5/8ths in an impressive 57.08. With the tragedy of Eight Belles, it is possible Winning Colors goes down as the last filly to win the roses. Winning Colors [...]

Jun

11

Trouble in Paradise?

by Barry Roos
June 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Has the love fest between IEAH Stable and trainer Dutrow soured? When the blame started flying around after the Belmont, trainer Dutrow blamed Kent Desormeaux. Then the truth came out, that Dutrow never wanted Desormeaux in the first place. Edgar Prado was his choice but IEAH wanted Desormeaux. Will this lead to a rift in [...]

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