Scott Blasi

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Kentucky clears Asmussen and Blasi in PETA investigation

Posted by noonante on January 19, 2015
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission concluded there was no evidence to substantiate claims by PETA that either Steve Asmussen or Scott Blasi “maintained horses in their care in poor physical condition” or subjected any horse to “cruel or injurious mistreatment,” abuse or neglect.  The investigation followed a video produced by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, reports by Joe Drape in The New York Times, and a complaint filed with the Commission by PETA.

The seven and one-half minute video was released last March.  It was a disturbing account depicting dead horses and multiple injections being administered to horses.  The “star” of the video was Asmussen’s assistant trainer Scott Blasi whose constant use of a common expletive in its various forms as a noun, verb, adjective and adverb added to the overall shock value of the clip.  PETA claimed it had seven hours of video and a 285-page “report” that were not released publicly.

The KHRC subpoenaed the additional evidence PETA claimed to have, but the advocacy group refused to cooperate.  Nonetheless, the KHRC examined the claims made by PETA and concluded not only that the claims lacked credibility, but that PETA “extensively edited” the video, overdubbed audio, and “presented conversations out of context and contrary to the substance of the conversation as a whole.”  PETA’s undercover investigator who worked for several months in Asmussen’s barns was also determined to lack credibility.

The Commission’s findings were not unexpected.  As disturbing as the video was, it became clear after several viewings that there was no actual evidence of mistreatment of horses.  Similarly, none of the numerous complaints PETA filed with a myriad of federal, state and local government agencies contained evidence that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that either Asmussen or Blasi were mistreating their horses.

Having said that, there are questionable aspects of the KHRC decision.  The most significant was the cavalier dismissal of claims that Asmussen was misusing the prescription drug commonly known as thyroxine.  Thyroxine is a medication with legitimate therapeutic purposes, but also one that has potentially serious side effects.  It was suspected of being a factor  –  if not the cause  –  of several sudden deaths experienced by Bob Baffert’s barn a couple of years ago.  When he stopped the routine administration of the drug, the unexplained deaths also stopped.  Asmussen himself admitted that he “fed” thyroxine in an interview following the PETA claims.

Rather than address the merits of use of the drug  –  which Asmussen acknowledged  –  the KHRC relied instead on questionable statements by a veterinarian who stated that he recommends it for every horse because it improves the quality of its coat, and has been doing it for 35 years.  It is my understanding that is not the purpose of the medication, yet the KHRC concluded that if it is “prescribed for a specific patient,” it is not a violation of the rules.

This conclusion, however, skirts one of the more substantial complaints about the industry’s use of drugs.  Rather than administering drugs to address a diagnosed condition, the perception is that far too many trainers use drugs for performance-enhancing reasons  –  or worse, masking injuries.  Both Baffert and Asmussen admitted using this particular medication for a reason having nothing to do with treating a diagnosed condition.  The Commission should have taken a more forceful stand on this issue.

The other surprising aspect of the Commission’s decision was the inclusion of instant messages exchanged between Blasi and the PETA undercover investigator  –  43 pages of such messages.  Both Blasi and the investigator acknowledged a sexual relationship, and the KHRC concluded this affected her credibility.  Even if that conclusion is warranted, there is something creepy about including the sort of personal material that has little, if any, probative value.

Scott Blasi is not the problem

Posted by noonante on July 31, 2014
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Scott Blasi, the unwitting star of PETA’s famous nine-minute video that roiled the horse racing world in the spring, is back to work at Saratoga Race Course.  Blasi had been “relieved of his duties” in the aftermath of the video and is now back working for trainer Steve Asmussen.

For those who may have forgotten, or wish they had, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals placed an undercover investigator in Asmussen’s barns at Churchill Downs and Saratoga.  The video recorded Blasi’s working on horses, as well as comments by veterinarians candidly assessing the administration of Lasix.  At one point, Blasi disparaged one of Asmussen’s top owners, Ahmed Zayat, who then removed his horses from the barn.  Other prominent owners, notably Ron Winchell, who owns the filly Untapable as well as the Derby horse Tapiture, stuck with Asmussen.  In addition to the video, PETA filed numerous complaints with varied federal, state  –  and even one municipal  – agencies.  To date, I am not aware of any of the agencies completing their review.

As dramatic and disturbing as the PETA video was, actual allegations  –  let alone evidence  –  of illegal behavior was thin.  One of the few allegations that may have some weight was that the Asmussen barn hired undocumented workers.  Another had to do with the use of a “buzzer,” a device to electrically shock a horse.  While showing dead horses and numerous injections administered to horses created precisely the response for which PETA hoped, there was very little substance when it came to actual wrongdoing.

A substantial portion of the punch provided by the video was Blasi’s use of the King’s English.  Someone else can go and count the number of times he used a common expletive as an adjective, adverb or verb, but it was plentiful.  But if using expletives was a reason to lose a job, many of us, me included, would be out on the street.  The common portrayal of Blasi as a horseman who did not care about the welfare of the horse is also an exaggeration.  There were actually instances in which his colorful language masked the fact that he was expressing frustration with a horse’s condition and the inability to treat it.  In one memorable sequence, a farrier recommended putting super glue in a horse’s hoof to deal with holes in the hoof.  Blasi’s response  –  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”  –  seems just about right.

None of this is to say that Blasi or Asmussen are victims in their portrayal by PETA.  It’s that Blasi does not deserve to take the full weight of problems in racing regarding the treatment of horses.  I do not know either man, but I do not think their behavior is unique in the business.  Whether Blasi returns to Asmussen’s barn or someone else’s, or never again works in the field, the problems that must be addressed are not affected.

Here are a few:

  • Horses are routinely given drugs  –  legally  –  even though there is no documented need for the medication.  Lasix is the most prominent example because it is permitted on race day, with one vet in the PETA video acknowledging it is a performance-enhancing drug.  Just go through any race card at any track and count the number of entrants not being given the drug.  You will not need a second hand.  Thyroxine is another.  In one interview Asmussen said he “feeds” the drug as if it is a nutritional supplemental and not a drug with potentially significant side effects.  One of racing’s golden boys, Bob Baffert, only stopped giving it to all his horses on a daily basis when being investigated for a number of sudden deaths of horses in his care.  Baffert did not even use a vet to administer it.  Grooms routinely added it to feed tubs.
  • Horses with musculo-skeletal issues continue to train, often with drugs, with no effort to conduct a diagnostic assessment.  This isn’t PETA or The New York Times saying it.  It was a common refrain by nationally-prominent veterinarians at the recent Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit conducted by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
  • There are significant questions regarding the care for horses once their racing careers are done.  While the annual foal crop is now down to the low 20’s from a recent time when it was closer to 35,000, that is a large number of horses to care for once they are no longer compering.  I recently attended a fund-raiser for a prominent after-care group in which they talked about the well-known horses on their farm.  I have often thought this is an unusual selling point.  Why is there an issue caring for a horse who earned hundreds-of-thousands of dollars for its owner?  Why do those who did not share in the good times now need to contribute to feeding the horse?  I candidly do not know the economics of such farms, but I do know there are not a sufficient number of such facilities nationally to care for each retired horse  –  let alone the number who do not make it through early training and have to be retired before making it to the winner’s circle.

So racing has notable issues that must be addressed in order to grow the sport.  Let’s not assume Scott Blasi is the problem rather than simply perhaps an example of the problem.

Yet another wake-up call for racing

Posted by noonante on March 25, 2014
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

Racing at Saratoga brings many of the nation’s best horses, trainers and jockeys to the Spa for a 40-day meet in a resort atmosphere.  It also brings industry leaders who participate in the several seminars that take place.  Last year the unifying theme may well have been drugs and the public’s perception of widespread abuse.

At one such session last year, trainer John Kimmel lambasted those who thought that mistreatment of horses was a problem, blaming it on  –  wait for it  –  the media.  He challenged them to go to the backstretch to observe how well the horses are cared for.  Little did he know that as he was speaking, someone was doing just that, armed with a video camera.  This week, the work of the undercover investigator for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) became public courtesy of Joe Drape of The New York Times and PETA’s web site.

According to Drape’s piece, the investigator worked in Steve Asmussen’s barn at Churchill Downs and Saratoga for four months.  It is clear no one was aware they were being recorded.  PETA has filed complaints with ten federal and state agencies based on the investigation, but it is a nine-minute video that has the racing world abuzz.  Among PETA’s allegations are the mistreatment of horses, the use of batteries to shock horses, administration of Lasix as a performance-enhancing drug, and numerous violations of employment laws.

Not surprisingly, given PETA’s orientation, the video is disturbing.  The horses featured are either dead, being injected with something, or subjected to a painful examination.  While any of those occurrences is a daily reality at a track somewhere, it is the words emanating from the humans that are most damning.

Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s long-time assistant trainer, is the star, if you will, of the production,  in large part because of his seeming inability to complete a sentence without using a common seven-letter expletive.  He is observed examining what appears to be the dreadful condition of 2011 Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro’s feet, describing the pain caused by extracorporeal shock wave therapy, joking about the use of a “battery” by one of the barn’s jockeys, explaining the mechanics of hiring undocumented workers, and identifying one of the stable’s owners as a double expletive.  Interestingly, Asmussen’s lone speaking part in the film is a barely audible off-camera sentence about hiring undocumented workers.  Blasi has been “relieved of his duties pending a review” according to bloodhorse.com.

The reaction to the video has been predictable  –  ranging from outrage to condemnation of PETA as a biased source.  Indeed, the video was edited to less than 10 minutes from several hours of recordings, and there are portions that seem to have little purpose other than portraying horse racing in the most unflattering light possible.  For example, Wayne Lukas and Gary Stevens are depicted laughing about the use of batteries, including an admission by Stevens that he once used one.  It is not clear when he did, but the Lukas comment was obviously from a time over 30 years ago with no acknowledgement that he participated in it.

Similarly, Nehro’s death from colic is implicitly linked to what is portrayed as the continuous training of an injured horse, although there is no evidence that was the cause.  I unfortunately know from personal experience that colic is a common, and sometimes fatal, condition that has a number of possible causes.

My initial reaction to the video was one of disgust.  Then I watched it another half-dozen times and realized that while it is an artful piece of anti-racing propaganda, the actual evidence of wrongdoing is pretty thin.  The most serious allegations are those dealing with the employment law violations.  Then there is Blasi explaining how he will mask an injured horse by applying a covering gel the next time the state vet comes by before a race.  Stevens, who is one of the most public faces of racing from his acting and roles as a commentator on broadcasts, clearly doesn’t help.  Then there is the veterinarian describing Lasix as a performance-enhancing medication.

The video describes Lasix as a controversial medication and, of course, it is.  It is also the only race-day medication permitted in every state.  The frequent depiction of horses being injected is emotive, but there are a number of medications that can be administered legally to a race horse.  The video does not claim that any of the numerous injections are illegal, although that assertion is made in some of the written complaints.

But supporters of racing are deluding themselves if they think portraying PETA as biased makes the problem go away.  Let’s be honest.  We know horses are often given numerous medications and injections, and we also know that, at least in some instances, there is no medical justification for the drugs.  One of PETA’s allegations is that Asmussen’s staff gave Thyroxine to most, if not all, of the horses in the barn without need.  If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it is the same drug that Bob Baffert admitted giving to all his horses when California investigated the seven sudden and unexplained deaths of horses trained by him.  Baffert, who often had the medication given by barn staff and not a veterinarian, did not even understand the effect of the drug.

We also know that an investigation into a spike in fatalities at Aqueduct in 2012 led to a report by a Task Force that made numerous and significant recommendations on the practice of veterinary medicine at race tracks and the tightening of standards for administering drugs.  We know from a report in The New York Times that the nation’s leading trainer, Todd Pletcher, had one of his horses given 14 doses of drugs in the week before his fatal breakdown at Aqueduct.  Pletcher acknowledged to the Task Force that this “pre-race medication program … was standard practice for all of the horses in his stable.”

The video is lurid, even if lacking in specifics.  The ten complaints filed by PETA, however, provide more detail even if they do not create the same level of outrage.  Six complaints deal with the wage and hour violations.  The remaining complaints  –  with the possible exception of those relating to Nehro  –  may prove to be much more troubling for the industry as a whole.

PETA’s complaint to New York’s Gaming Commission makes two allegations.  One had to do with Blasi’s knowledge that a jockey used by Asmussen’s stable used an electric shock device or “machine,” although PETA explicitly states it had no knowledge of when such a device was used.

The second part of the complaint concerns the administration of Lasix.  PETA alleges that Lasix was given to all of Asmussen’s horses when they were scheduled to work or race, regardless of whether there was a need for the drug based on the horse having previously bled.  One veterinarian was quoted as saying the drug was given because it is a “performance enhancer.”  Additionally, there is an accusation that vets working for Asmussen would sign blank forms required by the state prior to administering Lasix.  The complaint alleges that barn staff would then fill in the horse’s name prior to a work or race.

In addition to the complaint filed with the Gaming Commission, PETA also filed with the New York board that licenses veterinarians, claiming that two vets used by Asmussen improperly administered drugs without medical justification, including Lasix, Sucralfate and Thyroxine.

Whether or not Asmussen’s staff or veterinarians violated the Lasix regulations is a much less consequential question than whether either of the New York regulatory agencies  –  or their counterpart in Kentucky  –  uses its authority to conduct a more sweeping probe.  It strains credulity to think that these practices are unique to Asmussen’s operation.   Saturday’s card at Aqueduct had 76 horses entered by 48 trainers.  How many of those 76 were to run with Lasix?  All but two  –  both first time starters.  Are we to assume that each of the 74 has a documented history by a veterinarian that it had bled during a race or workout  –  as required by New York’s regulations?  I doubt there are many knowledgeable race trackers who would take a short price on that proposition.

An investigation into whether drugs are being administered as part of a therapeutic regimen to treat a specific condition, rather than to enhance performance, could go a long way in dispelling the impressions left by the PETA video.  It would also bolster the arguments of some racing proponents that ours is an industry capable of self-regulation.

The racing industry is actually filled with numerous committed, knowledgeable and thoughtful people who truly care about the sport and the well-being of its equine and human participants.  I got a chance to meet a number of them at those seminars in Saratoga last summer and was quite impressed.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about those who actually control the racing at major tracks.  New York is run by inept political appointees, Churchill Downs seems preoccupied by how much money they can extract from the Kentucky Derby, and Santa Anita and Gulfstream are owned by Frank Stronach.  When a NYRA Board meeting is obsessed by the quality of the service at the Aqueduct restaurant instead of a serious issue, it is clearly a group that simply does not get it.

The NYRA Board members always nod in unison when someone observes that the public’s perception of racing is ruined by the one bad apple using drugs illegally.  Yet, we have Hall of Fame trainer Baffert acknowledging ignorance of the effects of a drug he gave to all his horses, and certain Hall of Fame trainer Pletcher administering a cornucopia of medications to a horse who then suffers a catastrophic breakdown.  And Asmussen was on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot until the PETA story broke and the Hall removed his name from nomination.

The question for the racing industry, of course, is where do we go from here?  Unfortunately, there seems to be two likely possibilities, although they are not mutually exclusive.  One is that the continuing cascade of negative media attention will further erode the sport’s popularity.  That one appears to be inevitable without some significant action.  When The Atlantic runs with the PETA story  –  in a compelling piece by Andrew Cohen  – you should know you are in trouble.

The other is that the PETA video, despite its obvious flaws, will become a powerful incentive for governmental action.  There’s a reason for the old saw, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  Already there is legislation in Congress to place the United States Anti-Doping Agency in an oversight role for racing.  Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania have brought criminal wire fraud charges against three trainers for either illegally administering drugs or simply possessing syringes and impermissible drugs.  And now, ten government agencies will be investigating the actions of Asmussen, Blasi and their veterinarians.

Perhaps the most common proposal is for a national organization with a commissioner akin to what we have in other major sports.  Charles Hayward, former head of NYRA and now the President of the new on-line publication Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, seems prescient in addressing this issue just over a week ago.  For reasons that are distressingly compelling, he cites the major impediments to that happening here.  Yet he does provide a possible solution in the experience in Britain with their racing authority.

I think Hayward is correct in saying that an all-encompassing organization that controls everything from marketing to licensing rights to drug regulations is too much to hope for right now.  But a necessary and useful first step would be a consensus on medication policies with a national drug czar, even if his or her authority is limited initially to operating from a bully pulpit.  If it is not one selected by the racing industry, it could well be one picked by the federal government.