Dooomsday for Howard....or not

[Ignorance Is Bliss]

Most people who've done wrong have a chance in life to redeem themselves.

They find a way based on the proportionally of the wrong and crime.

When you're dying about to die, they can apologize.

Some contrition.

Three things I never got:

(1) Why not embrace the challenge of it being difficult and don't cheat and steal, a true earned accolade based on hard work and even fate.

(2) For those that have kids do you think you're independent of that once they've been released from your body, that those genes, the inherent subconscious guilt, the depression won't come out at some point - poisoning yourself and your lineage when you cheat and steal, intentionally hurt others, weakness.

(3) That they're so brazen, like those ridiculous true stories of drug dealers calling the cops when they got robbed...that you don't keep your head down, and even think about calling it a day.

Have you ever spent any real time in a barn area or a training center? All your questions will be answered. Harness Racing has a unique culture and way of justifying it. And even there, they're cowards who have so much jealousy and rage it's frightening.

Also, what are the chances I get a call, answer and the caller hangs up. I look up the number and it's a Standardbred farm in Ohio. I call back, he answers. I say is this "redacted", he says yes. I say you called this is Mike Petrelli. He says sorry I dialed the wrong number. I have no idea until now who he is and have never spoken to him in my life. Uh huh. How is that possible? Coinkidink??? 

[Grandstand Handicapper]

Its the old, where there's smoke there's usually fire. With Ford, it's two-fold: one, he gave horses to other trainers to train. On the surface you might give him a pass but if you dig deeper the guys he elected to use turned out to be some of the guys implicated in the Seth Fishman fiasco. At minimum that's a bad look, especially if you're the president of the Horsemen's Association. Others might take a more viscerable view and come to the conclusion that there was willfull intent to use those guys to win substantial purse money while technically avoiding any responsibility. Add to that the reputation of his training facility being the haven for dubious trainers that continually strike at a unfathomable win rate throughout New York, especially Yonkers and you can see why many are not fond of him. As for Howard, I think there exists a new sentiment that it's time to deal with this guy. And outside of cutting off CAW, this is the single biggest reason why so many owners have given up. For decades they race against guys like Taylor who only supports high percentage trainers and will move a horse in an instant.

BTW, as far as Taylor, while I agree with your outcome/resolution, my reasoning or my getting there may be different. Moot however. I saw a "big" name or two on those lists. People who I believe are legit, upstanding members of this industry. They bought stuff-----but not the illegal blood building whatever it was that was in question---that Taylor was buying. They bought other stuff. I don't know if it was liquid aspirin or something legal, or another illegal drug. If it wasn't the former I would have expected action to be taken-----investigation, charges, etc. Gural didn't do a thing about those names, and neither did any governing body or authority. I didn't see their licenses get suspended. I haven't seen those one or two names-----accused of anything, yet alone what Taylor has been accused of.

I still don't know if it's the case, but my question is, was Taylor buying monthly/regularly? It looks like it. More important, was he having it shipped to him, taking possession of the items in question, and distributing to his trainers? Even if he wasn't, I think there is still enough going on here that he has culpability.

[Yonkers1A]

Its the old, where there's smoke there's usually fire. With Ford, it's two-fold: one, he gave horses to other trainers to train. On the surface you might give him a pass but if you dig deeper the guys he elected to use turned out to be some of the guys implicated in the Seth Fishman fiasco. At minimum that's a bad look, especially if you're the president of the Horsemen's Association. Others might take a more viscerable view and come to the conclusion that there was willfull intent to use those guys to win substantial purse money while technically avoiding any responsibility. Add to that the reputation of his training facility being the haven for dubious trainers that continually strike at a unfathomable win rate throughout New York, especially Yonkers and you can see why many are not fond of him. As for Howard, I think there exists a new sentiment that it's time to deal with this guy. And outside of cutting off CAW, this is the single biggest reason why so many owners have given up. For decades they race against guys like Taylor who only supports high percentage trainers and will move a horse in an instant.

AgentQ knows buggy racing

[Stan durbread]

BTW, as far as Taylor, while I agree with your outcome/resolution, my reasoning or my getting there may be different. Moot however. I saw a "big" name or two on those lists. People who I believe are legit, upstanding members of this industry. They bought stuff-----but not the illegal blood building whatever it was that was in question---that Taylor was buying. They bought other stuff. I don't know if it was liquid aspirin or something legal, or another illegal drug. If it wasn't the former I would have expected action to be taken-----investigation, charges, etc. Gural didn't do a thing about those names, and neither did any governing body or authority. I didn't see their licenses get suspended. I haven't seen those one or two names-----accused of anything, yet alone what Taylor has been accused of.

I still don't know if it's the case, but my question is, was Taylor buying monthly/regularly? It looks like it. More important, was he having it shipped to him, taking possession of the items in question, and distributing to his trainers? Even if he wasn't, I think there is still enough going on here that he has culpability.

Most likely the trainers ordered the products and had Fishman bill the owners. Happens with most veterinarians too.

[seen2much]

That all makes sense to me. Where there's smoke there's fire, very true many times. Perhaps even most of the time. But here's the way I see this when you break it down. I am not saying I would give Ford a pass or not. However, here is what I am saying. One, as far as who he selected to give horses to train, specifically Jeff Gillis, I am not condeming Ford for that unless we start condeming all of Gillis' other owners. I don't see any governing body or authority taking action against Ford because he chose Gillis. As far as Gills, the guy won what, 5 or 6 O'Brien awards? For several years he was a top trainer. Many people sent him horses. Now he gets nailed for the Fishman aspect, and I am all for banning him. Good riddance.

Two, are people saying Ford was in on it? He knew and was involved in the purchase of illegal drugs? He had knowledge, involvment, whatever else? Great, prove it. I am not talking about what some arm-chair desparado says or claims on some internet forum. Prove it. Let's see who takes action. Let's wait for all the excuses when nothing ever happens to Ford on this. Now, should he be held to a higher standard as the President of the SBOANJ. Legally, no. However, personally, I would want to see a higher standard. The optics are bad, without question, but I am not going to ban a guy or ruin his life for optics. If every owner wants to leave him because of this, so be it. Ford will bear the consequences of his decisions and actions.

Three, as far the trainers who stable at his training center, I agree. I have a problem with that. Especially since he is the President. If you let criminals stable at your training center, even if you knew nothing, it still is reflective of your professional decisions and how you run your business. I don't know how many trainers he has there total, and how many got indicted, charged, etc. But more than one is a problem in my mind, and a pattern is even worse. I know people have shared this with him. If a governing body or authority wants to do something about it, I am all for it. But if it doesn't happen, I am not going to lower myself and buy into mud-slinging and BS claims made by people who IMO have an obvious conflict and vendetta against someone-----whether it's about this, or other issues. I have people here on ignore, so I don't even read their BS, yet alone participate in it. Thanks. I appreciate your comments and perspective.

Gillis had fallen on hard times. He became a super trainer again in the US. Ford holding the positions he has should be held to higher standard. Ignorance or I didn't know is not an acceptable defense. Ford has been around long enough to know what is right, wrong, and when to ask questions.
The amount of bad actors on his farm is embarrassing. A man holding his titles has to do better.
In the real world Ford would have been fired or resigned. Harness racing is cheating in plain sight and no one cares.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

Most likely the trainers ordered the products and had Fishman bill the owners. Happens with most veterinarians too.

I know that. Commonplace. I just don't know what occurred here. I know with the one or two big names, they paid a bill. They never received product.