HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: firhill on May 09, 2026, 12:44:07 PM
-
I had no idea, and I still can't find it in the AGCO rules and regulations, but I just recently found out that the AGCO requires that every trainer must have a written contract between said owner and trainer for every horse.
Does USTA have this "rule" ?
-
No. Owners and lease horses need a contract though.
Never heard of that
Might be something like that with certain trainers before they take your horses on a training bill.
-
AGCO investigator demanded copies of all trainer's required contracts with his owners.
If it's mandatory, they should make a template available that would cover what they actually want to see. Like the claiming forms or ownership change forms that SC provide.
From here on out he should write on a napkin ......
"X promises to pay Y for training his horse"
-
I leased a couple horses when I first got in the business and only thing that was required was a statement stating the term and condition of the lease. Had to be given to Clerk Iof Course.
That was many years ago and maybe things changed
-
I had no idea, and I still can't find it in the AGCO rules and regulations, but I just recently found out that the AGCO requires that every trainer must have a written contract between said owner and trainer for every horse.
Does USTA have this "rule" ?
That is the Anthony McDonald rule. It was put in place after he told an owner he amished their horse then changed the name and raced it for himself. Can’t remember if he got 6 months or a year but also big fine. A lot of trainers don’t think they need a contract with owners until they get screwed out of money.
-
That is the Anthony McDonald rule. It was put in place after he told an owner he amished their horse then changed the name and raced it for himself. Can’t remember if he got 6 months or a year but also big fine. A lot of trainers don’t think they need a contract with owners until they get screwed out of money.
That sounds like fraud at the felony level.
An integrity killer too.
Any more specifics, when, who (owner and horse), where?
-
Owner was Terry Hunter. Can’t remember the horses names. But Terry happened to be looking at the program and saw that the age and pedigree matched the horse Antony said he Amished
-
Owner was Terry Hunter. Can’t remember the horses names. But Terry happened to be looking at the program and saw that the age and pedigree matched the horse Antony said he Amished
tmbz1
Well done Stan, great memory on you! tmbz1
17 yo case and very meaningful now too...a very inflated ego, narcissistic at times and self serving possibly all the time. No one would accuse him and his operation not working their tails off but really for whom at whose bottom line. Fractional ownership and the access he provides seem to supersede everything with his investors / fan club including and not limited he's often times not the best option to pilot their horses yet, he does.
https://standardbredcanada.ca/news/6-3-09/macdonalds-license-downgraded.html
-
It gets even better. When his licence was downgraded to family only, he bought a horse from a girl who faced some financial issues. But true to form he didn't pay for the horse (it was a race out) and so ownership of Lil Orphan Cam wasn't transferred. Since Anthony couldn't train the horse himself, he put down Tyler Nostadt as trainer. All was well until Nostadt decided to leave and Anthony needed a new fall guy. He put down his brother James' close friend Johnny McKinnon as trainer. The horse promptly got a positive and McKinnon's career took a savage hit. Anthony said he would make it up to him. He didn't. Privately Anthony said it wasn't his fault because he got the stuff from Auciello and it was bad. Nice to throw yet another friend under the bus. Carmen was probably completely innocent so that part doesn't count for much except to show his pattern of always off-loading consequences.
-
That is the Anthony McDonald rule. It was put in place after he told an owner he amished their horse then changed the name and raced it for himself. Can’t remember if he got 6 months or a year but also big fine. A lot of trainers don’t think they need a contract with owners until they get screwed out of money.
Would definitely be a criminal offense
-
The USTA has always been a great sanctioning body for harness racing. They are very selective with their officials doing a great job in my opinion they've always been fair with me.
-
The USTA has always been a great sanctioning body for harness racing. They are very selective with their officials doing a great job in my opinion they've always been fair with me.
In my opinion the USTA does nothing for horsemen but keep records and for that they get a fee. They are useless in any other capacity. Also they do not hire officials like judges, the states do. They also have selective standards on who they take care of or dont. I am glad they were fair with you.
-
In my opinion the USTA does nothing for horsemen but keep records and for that they get a fee. They are useless in any other capacity. Also they do not hire officials like judges, the states do. They also have selective standards on who they take care of or dont. I am glad they were fair with you.
I hear what you're saying but they've always been fair with me. What would you suggest in place of the USTA? I think they've done a lot of great things for the business especially regarding the papers years ago you had grabbed the horses papers to bring them to another track. I know a lot of the judges are juiced in because of politics and who they know nepotism.
-
I really think they are good at record keeping though thats it. No replacement for that. I just feel they really do not help the horsemen in any other ways.
-
I really think they are good at record keeping though thats it. No replacement for that. I just feel they really do not help the horsemen in any other ways.
they always seem to help me when I needed them
-
Thats great to hear.
-
The USTA is not a governing body. They now play one in the media and they are starting to punish, but I see it as desperation. I question whether they actually have the legal right to do so.