The Real Jeff Gural

[Trigger]

There is no way he was serious.  Get a grip people.  This is cancel culture behavior.

Casinos can't have a perception that people in charge will use manipulation to tilt things in their favor. There are a lot more eyes on these comments (and his simutaeous involvement as a particpant ) than some may know.

The single most important factor on hambletonian day is shoes on shoes off and track maintenance. It's decidedly huge

 

Serious or not, Dementia or not, he didn't invent the expression that we all know but still go - the house always wins.

Otherwise Sherlock's and excuser's go find evidence of something other that what can be considered a joke or innocuous.

[Cashout]

               What do you think he would be saying if another owner wanted some kind of advantage over him

[Cashout]

      You’re right about that Trigger

[Trigger]

               What do you think he would be saying if another owner wanted some kind of advantage over him

There is nothing wrong with an advantage in itself, just means you're smart and resourceful and talented.

Why can't you write what you mean to say?

Fucking dummy!   

[Cashout]

         Trigger      I saw your picks on the T Bred thread last week.      If I was you I’d be pissed off all the time also

[SDST2009]

I agree he shouldn't have said that, joke or not. But keep in mind plenty of trainers pull shoes on that track.

[JL52]

Lost in all this discussion is that Gural owns just 10% of the winner. On a hot, sunny August afternoon, the track needs water. Still, his comments were way out of line, and I imagine he wishes he could have expressed himself differently.

I also think the perception that certain trainers benefit from favoritism, is absolutely true.

Btw, just to give you an idea how unimportant this industry is, I asked “ Alexa” the day before the race, when and where the Hambletonian would be. This AI source of so many instant answers, had no idea. That, my friends, is a sad commentary on harness racing.

[Trigger]

         Trigger      I saw your picks on the T Bred thread last week.      If I was you I’d be pissed off all the time also

0/3 today too.  One more t-bred at Presque in and then 15 harness races to look at.

I compartmentalize my life, losing / winning has nothing to do with here and this.

I want to be around intelligent people not the teacher of stupid. 

I don't want anyone to fail.

Unfortunately the truth sounds odd to people, they're only used to hearing the good. 

[Pacer 2]

Jeff is one of the greats of our sport. What he's doing with the Meadowlands is amazing.  And how he aided Tioga after that big barn fire was heroic. 

[Pacer 2]

         Trigger      I saw your picks on the T Bred thread last week.      If I was you I’d be pissed off all the time also

[Trigger]

Jeff is one of the greats of our sport. What he's doing with the Meadowlands is amazing.  And how he aided Tioga after that big barn fire was heroic. 

Hi pigeon sister, thanks for thinking about me, more than your own well being! 

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I think Gural's comment was meant to be in jest, and and it ended up exactly the opposite. It came across to me as flippant. Should he have said it. Absolutely not! Was it a mistake? Absolutely. JMO.

Anyone who thinks there was an intentional, misuse of authority, control, or an effort to "cheat" or whatever you want to call it, in order to give himself an advantage, is IMO just wrong. It's already been said that Svanstedt did ask track officials to make sure they watered down the surface. However, so did other trainers. Track officials have already stated they did not respond to one person's request. Gary Wolff also provided complete commentary on this. As Cohen said in the article, Wolff doesn’t sound like a guy in the middle of a conspiracy, does he? Settlemoir has also has provided complete commentary on this and provided a list of trainers who requested the same thing. They announced in the paddock that the track was being watered down.

Gural has also responded. He acknowledged that, “the only request Sarah made was to water the track so it’s not as hard as a rock.” IMO they watered the track as part of the normal course of business and in response to several trainers requesting it. Not just one and certainly not just one who happens to train for Gural.

All that said, it was still wrong for Gural to say it. His comment created a wrong, and poor appearance. The optics and the ears are bad. Gural did something very wrong and now should make it right.

I take Steve Stewart's comments to heart, and I agree that Gural's comments were (as Stewart said) “inappropriate” and “disappointing.” However, I also agree when he said (from the article):

“Jeff Gural has always pushed for integrity and honesty in racing, efforts which I have applauded loudly and which I have defended,” said Stewart, “and now he's announcing to the national network audience that he had his trackman suit the track to his own trainer’s wishes?”

However, I do not agree that is what Gural announced. Will some read it and hear it that way? Sure. Perhaps because they want to. But I don't think that's what he announced. Regardless, as I said, it was still wrong! Period.

Stewart, as well as other stakeholders, have said that an acknowledgement from Gural-----that he messed up, along with a pledge to dissolve perceptions of favoritism-----must be part of making this right. I agree.

[MIKE CAMPBELL]

25,000 word post. we have discovered the source of hot air causing global warming.

[pocketrocketwinner]

I agree he shouldn't have said that, joke or not. But keep in mind plenty of trainers pull shoes on that track.

Who pulled shoes that day other than Svanstedt?
Onajetplane did.
Since you say plenty did, can you name another 3 or 4?

[seen2much]

Burke did on MM's who won earlier.