Calling LABEEB - Update on the Cheating Biz

I still have not been able to come up with the story re Scott Lake's suspension in Illinois back in the 1990's. I'll continue to look for it - I know it is factual, as I used it for an ariticle I myself wrote on horse doping, and I spoke to Lake on the phone at the time and he confirmed it (and of course gave the usual excuses that all cheating trainers give, "the groom did it." Like those old Engish crime/mystery movies: "The butler did it.")

The article I wrote used to be online, but I can't find it. It from about 5,6 years ago. I think I have it filed in an old computer I gave to my gf's kid. I'll check there when I can.

Meanwhile, Mr Lake seems not to able to desist. He's been caught several times this year with that old favorite, Clenbutorol. Of course, "the groom did it." And, by golly, he's in Mexico now, gone forever.

The problem with racing, tho, is not with Lake, or any of the many other cheaters. It's systemic. All those useless state racing commisssions, headed by a political appointee who knows not a horse head from the rear view. A federal racing commission is needed (NOT headed by FEMA personnel!) to rigidly enforce drug rules, and issue lifetime suspensions to serial cheaters. And, to toss out the vacate orders given by the local judges the cheaters always run to to keep themselves in biz.

The suspensions discussed here were all from this year, 2006

LAKE SUSPENDED, SAYS TALK TO THE MEXICAN
<HR style="COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission on Tuesday upheld a 30-day suspension and $1,000 fine against Scott Lake, the nation's leading trainer, after one of his horses was found to have the drug clenbuterol in its system.

After winning the fifth race at Delaware Park on June 7, the Lake-trained Secret Run tested positive in urine and blood samples for clenbuterol, a drug used to open the bronchial passages. Commission rules allow the drug to be used but it cannot be in a horse's system on race day.

Secret Run shipped in from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the race. It was the second time during the 2006 DelPark meet that a Lake horse had a violation for clenbuterol. The first incident, April 30 involving Slew Proud, resulted in a $500 fine and seven-day suspension.

The commission denied Lake's request for a second continuance in the June 7 case while he attempts to find a former employee Lake said may have drugged the horse.

Lake contends Pete Rodriguez could have drugged the horse at his Pimlico barn after Lake fired Rodriguez. He said he believes Rodriguez now is in Mexico.

Lake said he also had clenbuterol violations this year at Philadelphia Park and Aqueduct (N.Y.). Records show he was fined $1,000 for a March 4 incident at Aqueduct involving My Cousin Matt. Details of the Philadelphia Park incident have not been released.

Lake was fined $2,000 for a July 2001 incident involving clenbuterol at Belmont Park (N.Y.).

Lake said he has 280 horses stabled in five states, including Delaware. Through Monday, Lake led the country in wins with 495. He's second to Todd Pletcher in earnings with $8,863,243. He has 101 wins to lead the DelPark standings.

Lake's suspension will not begin until an order is written by the commission's attorney and signed by the commissioners. The suspension would prevent Lake from entering horses under his name at any other U.S. track.

"We're obviously disappointed in the commission's ruling, because I believe there were irregularities in regard to the testing and Mr. Lake should have had an opportunity to present testimony from Mr. Rodriguez," said Wilmington attorney Richard Cross Jr., who represented Lake at the hearing.

Cross said there is a good chance he will appeal the commission's ruling to Delaware Superior Court.
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This case I know about obviously, although I don't ask him of his business involving others horses. There are some other issues at play with the Delaware case as well, many dealing with the sampling and testing itself. Seems like there's some shady business going on with it.

To me, bute positives are always going to happen. You always roll the dice when administering it since it leaves the system differently every time. Every trainer with a substantial number of horses will get them, just a matter of time.

Thanks for being factual with your reporting though. Not many do it.

Labeeb said:

This case I know about obviously, although I don't ask him of his business involving others horses. There are some other issues at play with the Delaware case as well, many dealing with the sampling and testing itself. Seems like there's some shady business going on with it.

To me, bute positives are always going to happen. You always roll the dice when administering it since it leaves the system differently every time. Every trainer with a substantial number of horses will get them, just a matter of time.

Thanks for being factual with your reporting though. Not many do it.

Click to expand...

You own Secret Run Labeeb?

nope. not sure who does.

Cheating and doping in horse racing is akin to cheating and steroids/HGH in MLB.
It happens, a majority do it, and it is accepted with a blind eye from leagues and commissioners.
It is just a way of life and almost an accepted business practice.
That is unfortunate, but the truth.

Labeeb said:

nope. not sure who does.

Click to expand...

Ah, OK. The "This case I know about obviously, although I don't ask him of his business involving others horses." made me think you owned part of him or something.

To me, bute positives are always going to happen. You always roll the dice when administering it since it leaves the system differently every time. Every trainer with a substantial number of horses will get them, just a matter of time.- quote by Labeeb

Labeeb, if you will forgive me for so saying, but I'm wondering if you are not confusing clenbuterol with butazolidin. The latter is widely known as Bute around the track. It is permitted as a race-day medication.

Bute is an anti-inflammatory drug, which also suppresses muscle and joint pain. A form of it is also in such household products as Advil and Ibuprofen.

Bute doesn't cure musculo-skelatal problems. It reduces the negative effects of same. The extended use of Bute, tho, can cause liver problems. And I guess when the equine liver goes the hungry diners in France and Japan belly up to the table for some filet de equus. (Such happened to poor ol' Ferdinand, a Derby winner who ended up as the main course in a Japanese restaurant.)

Clenbuterol, sometimes called Clen, is not permitted on race day. This was the drug Scott was using - excuse me, his groom/hot walker/exercise rider, all of 'em now in Mexico/Iraq/Albania were using - which caused the suspensions.

Clen is a bronco-dilator, increases aerobic capacity. It also has the property of burning fat and not muscle, which is why some crack-brain bodybuilders have been ingesting it for years.

It is illegal to use Clen in commercial livestock, as residues of the drug can adversely affect the circulatory and respiratory systems of human consumers of the meat. Tho some farmers still use it - buy organic meat for your dinner table. Costs more, but long-run costs less

Then of course there is the legal-for-race-day Lasix, a diuretic. The cheaters love Lasix, as it can mask other, illegal, drugs.

Btw, as Bute suppresses pain, what is an equine athlete doing, performing with pain every time he runs? European racing's answer to that is - he should not be performing if in pain! Makes sense to me, as does their banning of "Frankenfood," the genetically-modified stuff that permeates our own food system - we are being used as human guinea pigs by agribiz giants like ADM

Yes, I did for some reason confuse bute and clen when writing about it leaving the system. Not sure why.

If ever our paths cross in person, there's a very funny and eye-opening story about one Mr. Bobby Frankel, Empire Maker and the Belmont Stakes that I have for you.

Labeeb said:

Yes, I did for some reason confuse bute and clen when writing about it leaving the system. Not sure why.

If ever our paths cross in person, there's a very funny and eye-opening story about one Mr. Bobby Frankel, Empire Maker and the Belmont Stakes that I have for you.

Click to expand...

Love to hear it. I'm not specifically picking on the working man's trainer, Lake. He takes the rap because he is a more successful cheater than most other guys without royalty for their owners.

All these big guys have used. The pressure to win is enormous. Top trainers make big bucks, but the pressures are intense, they'll take any shortcuts they can get away with to win. Including Baffert, Lukas (no longer a top trainer, must have got caught one too many times with drugs), Frankel, et al. As I say, it's systemic. We're breeding a race of equine cripples.

And speaking of pressures, lot of times when someone buys a horse they expect their trainer to "let them in on the fixes," ie, to give them some sure winners. This kind of pressure, some years ago, drove a prominent California trainer into alcoholic collapse (Gary Jones, now retired. He burned a lot of midnight oil trying to pick winners!)

Got a funny doping anecdote. Back later with it, gotta go now

I know you're not picking on him. Like you said, it's easy to take shots at a guy on top of the heap that doesn't have the Grade 1 horses in his barn.

What you said about guys wanting "locks" is VERY true. Those are the owners trainers love to hate.