Desert Horse Shows Are Tough, A Track Trying & The Ratings

By now you've all read the Baconator (and others) story on So Cal racing. I feel there is little to comment on, as it is pretty new, and somewhat nebulous.

However, one comment in the (massive) comments section caught my eye:

• "mexican redbull" is rumored to be used by some pennsylvania super trainers.

Those goofy backstretch names (and rumors). I have never heard of it, so like a certain trainers connections, I googled it. I only found a mention of it on a Arizona Desert Show horse thingamajig. 

•  Here are a just a few common names of prohibited substances: Clenbuterol, Paylean, Caffeine, all of the Steroids and mixtures such as Mexican Red Bull, the red juice, the pink stuff, the orange stuff, the yellow juice, Nitrotain, Dexamethazone, Lasix, Bute, Banamine, DMSO, all  nerve blocking agents.

So it appears "Mexican Red Bull" does exist (whatever it is).

Regardless, this show is tough because in one of the following paragraphs, they ain't taking no guff:

•  We don't care "Who done it", or "How it happened."  We don't care if the owner, the trainer, the vet, the disgruntled ex-employee (ex-boyfriend/girlfriend), the jealous competitor or the Martians at midnight did it or if it was by carelessness, accident or mistake, knowingly or unknowingly.  We are not affixing blame to any person.  If the prohibited substance is found in a horse at any time during the training period, during a qualification race or during the main Desert Showdown Event, that horse is disqualified and all money paid for its enrollment and entry is forfeited.  Additionally, if anyone (any racing commission or jurisdiction) catches the horse with a with a positive test for any banned/prohibited substance, that horse is disqualified from our race program. In other words, if we don't catch it but someone else does, your horse is out of our program too. 

Holy moly. Watch out.

HANA's 67 Racetracks are now published, with full sortable notes on field size, handle growth, pool size and many others. 

Hastings opens this weekend and Raj and the fella's and ladies are sure trying hard. They have lowered takeout yet again, and are doing the little things (wifi, a good customer experience etc) that go hand in hand.

Give these guys a look.

Oh oh, Crunk has been blocked by Baffert:

Actually honored to be blocked by @midnightlute twitter.com/o_crunk/status…
— o_crunk (@o_crunk) April 11, 2013

Yesterday I wrote about how the OLG's "plan" is a response to  changing demos and a changing gambling world. I also wrote how "weird" some of its implementation is. At least the Auditor General is now looking into it, although it probably won't mean much for racing.

Enjoy your Thursday everyone!