Detention Barn Follies Continue

As y'all know, Little Brown Jug week was a rather interesting one. From the inside baseball side of things, the story that won't go away involved the capturing of the Jug winning trainer's phone, and related text messages, two of which were:

“Where is the (stuff) for betting line?”

“Anytime between 830-1030 range when its clear to saftly (sic) get his treatments into him.”

The result was protested by a few trainers, because the detention barn is a place where, I personally as a horse owner, tried to bring in a can of diet coke once, and it was like I was carrying an uzi into a baby shower. You don't bring anything into the D barn. If you do, you're up the creek.

Although most thought the fireworks ended Jug day, it hasn't. Legal teams are now involved.

I am not a legal dude, but it seems trainer Coleman, who (according to the story) did admit to wanting to bring in a syringe (for yogurt, mind you), might end up having her words, not the texts, be the issue in this defacto appeal. Syringes in a D barn are worse than diet coke, no doubt, and even yogurt is a no-no, as Susie Kerwood at Woodbine can tell you. 'Wanting' and 'doing' are two separate issues, though, I suppose. We'll let the legal types figure that out.

Regardless, this will be an interesting story to follow.

Notes:

Story on Event Marketing and Racing today in the TDN. Chrome and Zenyatta are two of very few horses in Thoroughbred racing who capture the imagination of most everyone, over time. They're outliers, and the fact that racing places so much hope on horses like this coming around every year or so is not wise, in my view. Even current darlings like Tepin, or past ones like Wise Dan are a notch below the outliers. Because of the state of affairs and the structure of the sport, events > great horses, and I think it has to be that way. 

Pricci talks about a rider not riding a horse out and getting a $500 fine. I think those who find this odd have a point. In Hong Kong he'd have probably been escorted to the tarmac and put on a plane.

Enjoy your Thursday everyone.