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After saddling several horses at the October 24-25 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, O'Brien and part of his entourage jetted Down Under to Australia. O'Brien had three horses entered in "the race that stops a nation," the Melbourne Cup. As this is being written, he has a chance to break Bobby Frankel's record of winning the most Grade or Group 1 races in a single calendar year.
However, according to an email I received from Mike Marten, the Public Information Officer of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), O'Brien isn't sharp enough to know the rules for treating a horse with lasix in the Golden State.
It was described in this space Tuesday how O'Brien was fined $2,500 by the CHRB for a late request to use lasix on four Breeders' Cup starters October 25. Despite the fact wagering on those races had begun the 24th, O'Brien was granted permission to use lasix on the horses in question.
My initial query on how this could have happened was sent to a Breeders' Cup official, who forwarded it to the CHRB. Marten responded Wednesday.
"(Aidan) O'Brien entered his horses as non-Lasix horses on Tuesday, October 21. During the races on Friday, October 24, one of the horses trained by O'Brien bled. (He) was concerned that the hot, dry weather in California caused the bleeding..., and he sought to prevent this from occurring with his four horses running the next day, so he respectfully approached the stewards with this request even though the deadline had passed. The stewards discussed the request prior to making their decision. This discussion included the welfare of the horse, the heat, protecting the wagering public, and how they had handled similar requests on previous occasions. (The stewards) granted the request while informing O'Brien there would be a $2,500 fine for not following the established procedure under CHRB rules. Similar exceptions to procedures are made from time to time according to circumstances; they almost always result in fines for the trainer, as was the case here. Special consideration was given to the horse welfare concern and THE FACT THAT O'BRIEN WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH CALIFORNIA AUTHORIZED BLEEDER MEDICATION PROCEDURES," said Marten.
The emphasis by capitalization is mine.
No one can reasonably argue horse welfare should not come first. That is a given. Marten went on to say that extra efforts were taken to announce the changes on Saturday, and to be sure simulcast wagering sites taking bets on the Breeders' Cup were informed, so they could warn their customers. According to Marten, that presented early bettors with the opportunity to cancel or change their wagers.
I have two problems with this explanation. For starters, as someone who starts horses at racetracks all over the globe, O'Brien should accept that priority one is to know and follow the medication rules. What good would it be to win a race if the horse is eventually disqualified because someone made a mistake?
In addition, the contention that O'Brien didn't know the rules is hard to swallow: 1) He started a horse at Santa Anita on Friday which received lasix, and, 2) O'Brien started four horses at the 2003 Breeders' Cup, also held at Santa Anita. All four raced on lasix.
You mean he forgot the rules between 2003 and 2008?
Let's be perfectly clear. There is no implication here that O'Brien, the CHRB, or Breeders' Cup officials, are bad people deliberately fleecing the public. Anyone who has ever worked under stressful conditions when the stakes are high knows stuff happens. I accept without reservation Marten's comment, "The stewards had to weigh everything and make the best decision they could given the unusual and difficult circumstances."
Unfortunately, horse players were the ones who took it on the chin. The notion that Breeders' Cup bettors should have scoured the internet, searched through newspapers, or listened to every word uttered on the telecast of the event, to find out about the lasix changes is unrealistic and unreasonable.
If there is a good side to this incident, it could be that Breeders' Cup officials will take a look at ways to tighten medication and equipment change procedures.
I talked on Friday to Cup spokesman Jim Gluckson. He told me that it may be time to examine the events of this Breeders' Cup to see if there is a solution. As Gluckson said, echoing Marten's description of stewards' decision-making, there are two processes involved. The welfare of the horse and racing fans both need to be considered.
Cup officials have shown they possess the ability to innovate and change. Some of us may not embrace all of the changes made to the event in recent years, but at least those in charge deserve points for straying from the safe and secure.
Someone asked the other day why the constant harping on customer service issues. The answer is easy. The leaders of the Breeders' Cup, New York Racing Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and every major racetrack official under the sun, need to realize the sport is an endangered species. People do not have to bet on Thoroughbred racing. They are choosing not to in growing numbers.
If racing's leaders don't accept that fact, and fix it, they are presiding over the equine version of the Dodo bird.
