Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the RSS pool.
You miss a few workouts and you end up blowing hard after 3 furlongs so with that said I will dip the proverbial toe into the blogging waters.
The TBA Rss feed is available to those that want to catch up with the latest news and insight you won't find in the industry rag. It's available to those that could give less than two shits too; we are an equal opportunity Alliance.
I did not do much "industry" reading while away and have all but ignored the BC goings on. The one piece I did catch and failed to bookmark, so I cannot link to it and am too lazy to find, concerned Doug O'Neill and his most recent in a Dutrow-like list of "medication" infractions.
It pissed me off but I figured I would see something about it on the blog circuit so I did not sit down and write anything about it; I was also too busy slacking off and meeting fellow bloggers.(While my modifier is in fact dangling, I must stress that I was meeting fellow bloggers in addition to slacking off and not as a result of the fact)
Apparently, O'Neill received a suspension for administering a milkshake to one of his horses,(I guess someone did cover it) but was able to appeal the suspension it carries and run his horses in the Breeders' Cup. Ironically, for those that care about the name game issue, the name of the horse in question was Chicks Rule.
Now, O'Neill is best known as the lovable and cuddly trainer of Lava Man but the man is a cheater and a chronic one. Biancone was kept off the grounds of the BC for cheating and rules violations while O'Neill is just issued a nominal $7500 warning and a nudge and a wink. Someone explain to me again why I should beleive the "new and improved" white wash everyone is slapping around?
Has the NTRA denounced this ruling? Will they downgrade O'Neill from his AAA rating?
The rules should apply to everyone the same way; Caesar's wife should be above suspicion but so as not to draw more negative press to itself, this somehow became a non event.
BrooklynBackstretch sums up, far better than I ever could, my recent ambivalence towards this year's BC. I am not betting but I will be watching, both days-some of us don't have real jobs.
TBA members are posting their picks on the homepage.
I'm still on vacation.
22 October 2008
Vitriol and Roses
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The Bid
Greatest horse ever to look through a bridle
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5 comments:
I've noticed none of the Blogs never really talk about Organized Crime's role in what you describe as Milkshakes and cheating. I think most of the bloggers out there are "under 30" and hence the knowledge of organized crime is minimal. But it is out there and to put the head in the sand or not learn about it, is pretty sad.
I love your title today; it sounds like a Nick Cave or an Auteurs album.
I think that probably demonstrates that I'm over 30...
I'm way over 30 and had the same reaction to the title. However, I'm a new fan to racing so my knowledge of any "ties to organized crime" is limited to episodes of the Soprano's where Tony owned the horse. Would love to hear more!
Also, I think Biancone's suspension was so strict because it was cobra venom, that's my guess anyway. We need uniform, consistently applied strict rules, like yesterday. It's all irrelevant otherwise.
Jackson-I think it is safe to say that most of the TBA at least, is over 30.
I don't know that anybody thinks racing is devoid of the Cosa Nostra. We all understand the underlying element is present in some form at any time but in the myriad links that form the error chain of industry ills, this is far down the line. Not unimportant, but not the most pressing.
I also don't know how to go about finding out the reach of the Mafia arm. The government has had some issues in this regard as well. I welcome any legitimate information you might provide.
My issue with the O'neill thing was not that he cheats, although he is not excoriated for it at all, but that his punishment was insignificant.
Dana- I agree with you that cobra venom is a step up from TCO2 but the point is that a violation of the rules is just that. Like you write, why have the rules if they are not going to be enforced equally?
Until somebody gets their license suspended for repeat offenses and thrown out of the game with serious fines imposed, the whole damn dance we are doing is just that.
Super-You turned me on to 'The Lucksmiths' and now I am going to have to check out the Auteurs. Keep 'em coming.
Thank you all for not forgetting my site.
One of my favorite images is from Handride - biancone aka the ugly frog, banned from most everywhere but the u.s.a., where hand slaps are metted for serious, repeated violations.
O'Neil is similarly greasy, and another in the long list of people who need to be barred from this sport.
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