Asmussen suspended for 6 months

[Alan07]

By Mary Rampellini GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Lone Star Park board of stewards on Thursday suspended trainer Steve Asmussen six months and fined him $1,500.00 after one of his horses, Timber Trick, tested positive for a lidocaine metabolite in 2008.

"I know that I didn't do this," he said. "And I strongly believe that you know how important it is to avoid having something like this happen because you do not want to be in this sort of trouble over a 3-year-old maiden when you have access to the Curlins and Rachel Alexandras of the world, in which I have. And this sort of trouble jeopardizes that."
http://drf.com/news/article/105544.html

[-BT-]

Originally Posted by Alan07

By Mary Rampellini GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Lone Star Park board of stewards on Thursday suspended trainer Steve Asmussen six months and fined him $1,500.00 after one of his horses, Timber Trick, tested positive for a lidocaine metabolite in 2008.

"I know that I didn't do this," he said. "And I strongly believe that you know how important it is to avoid having something like this happen because you do not want to be in this sort of trouble over a 3-year-old maiden when you have access to the Curlins and Rachel Alexandras of the world, in which I have. And this sort of trouble jeopardizes that."
http://drf.com/news/article/105544.html

i feel for the guy, i really do. its not his fault someone keeps drugging his horses


all the haters out there need to give it a rest, and let steve keep winning at a 35% clip

-bt-

[Thunder Gulch]

Another victim in this sad world...

It would be awesome to have the ability to send these douchebags back in time for some medieval justice. He should be thankful his tongue isn't getting severed.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Alan07

By Mary Rampellini GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The Lone Star Park board of stewards on Thursday suspended trainer Steve Asmussen six months and fined him $1,500.00 after one of his horses, Timber Trick, tested positive for a lidocaine metabolite in 2008.

"I know that I didn't do this," he said. "And I strongly believe that you know how important it is to avoid having something like this happen because you do not want to be in this sort of trouble over a 3-year-old maiden when you have access to the Curlins and Rachel Alexandras of the world, in which I have. And this sort of trouble jeopardizes that."
http://drf.com/news/article/105544.html

no, it doesn't. he had just come off his last six month suspension when he got curlin. no doubt his owners know JUST what they're getting when they hire the assman-and that includes that great sportsman, jess jackson.

[MisterB]

Super trainers should not be suspended. We need them.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Among supertrainers, he is... the superest.

Levine and Maker are 1A and 1X

Anthony and Dicky Dutrow are 2B and 2C

[chucklestheclown]

I am glad Maggi Moss is still around. Is her MS so bad she has to practice law?

[Left Bank]

Instead of six months,they should take Rachael away from him instead.

[johnny pinwheel]

i don't know the details but it sounds a little shady. how bad does he need to win at lone star? plus, thats part of the problem. these guys have so many horses running at different tracks, how do they supervise their help? to me , alot of their problems come from being TOO big and SUPER with so much stock that theres no way to account for whats going on. they train horses from thousands of miles away over a phone. you better know who you are hiring and if they are honest or any good. it could of been an honest mistake or something worse but these guys that want to train a zillion horses just open the door to alot of unwanted problems. do you guys really think hes at every barn checking on every one of his horses? man, hes better than santa clause!

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

blasi has better luck at the spa..lol

Originally Posted by johnny pinwheel

i don't know the details but it sounds a little shady. how bad does he need to win at lone star? plus, thats part of the problem. these guys have so many horses running at different tracks, how do they supervise their help? to me , alot of their problems come from being TOO big and SUPER with so much stock that theres no way to account for whats going on. they train horses from thousands of miles away over a phone. you better know who you are hiring and if they are honest or any good. it could of been an honest mistake or something worse but these guys that want to train a zillion horses just open the door to alot of unwanted problems. do you guys really think hes at every barn checking on every one of his horses? man, hes better than santa clause!

You should be his pr specialist.

[HaloWishingwell]

those bad people need to stop picking on Steve

[slotdirt]

Has Asmussen considered referring to everybody as "babe?" It seems to work like a charm for other guys.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by johnny pinwheel

i don't know the details but it sounds a little shady. how bad does he need to win at lone star? plus, thats part of the problem. these guys have so many horses running at different tracks, how do they supervise their help? to me , alot of their problems come from being TOO big and SUPER with so much stock that theres no way to account for whats going on.

The trainer is responsible for his help and what occurs in his barn. If a trainer hires meth addicts that are giving his horses amphetamine metabolite positives from hand/handling transfer, it's the trainer's fault, yes indeed.

Most drug positives are un-race-influencing amounts of allowed substances.

Yet other trainers that have multiple horses at multiple tracks manage to "stay clean" How hard is it to tell your staff: "We will pull a horse in question from a race, rather than risk ever getting a drug positive". Withdrawal times are no secret.

At best, giving every benefit of the doubt, Assmussen over the years has to have the sloppiest, most careless staff in the world. And that rests on his shoulders. As an owner, would you risk your reputation and the purses your horses win with such a sloppy, careless guy?

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by johnny pinwheel

plus, thats part of the problem. these guys have so many horses running at different tracks, how do they supervise their help? to me , alot of their problems come from being TOO big and SUPER with so much stock that theres no way to account for whats going on. they train horses from thousands of miles away over a phone. you better know who you are hiring and if they are honest or any good.

Why must we always hear the size of the operations as an excuse? They don't give back the wins or not cash the checks from the jurisdictions that are not their "home base." If they want a stable that size, they know the risks associated with doing so. If they don't want those risks, they can always scale back to a one or two track operation with 50 or so horses. (And the game would probably be far better off in any event if no trainer had more than 50 horses.)

[herkhorse]

When does this take effect?

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by Scav

Levine and Maker are 1A and 1X

Anthony and Dicky Dutrow are 2B and 2C

How many positives has Anthony Dutrow had?



Wolfson is up there with Levine and Maker. Probably worse.....

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Why must we always hear the size of the operations as an excuse? They don't give back the wins or not cash the checks from the jurisdictions that are not their "home base." If they want a stable that size, they know the risks associated with doing so. If they don't want those risks, they can always scale back to a one or two track operation with 50 or so horses. (And the game would probably be far better off in any event if no trainer had more than 50 horses.)

it's no excuse. assmussen has had plenty of positives over the years, his repeated need for excuses is the real issue here-and i'm surprised anyone would try to defend him at this point. he's a 'career criminal'.

[Oaklawnfan]

Originally Posted by Riot

The trainer is responsible for his help and what occurs in his barn. If a trainer hires meth addicts that are giving his horses amphetamine metabolite positives from hand/handling transfer, it's the trainer's fault, yes indeed.

Most drug positives are un-race-influencing amounts of allowed substances.

Yet other trainers that have multiple horses at multiple tracks manage to "stay clean" How hard is it to tell your staff: "We will pull a horse in question from a race, rather than risk ever getting a drug positive". Withdrawal times are no secret.

At best, giving every benefit of the doubt, Assmussen over the years has to have the sloppiest, most careless staff in the world. And that rests on his shoulders. As an owner, would you risk your reputation and the purses your horses win with such a sloppy, careless guy?

Thank you for your post. I don't have enought data to know if in fact his staff is substandard, but ultimately one must accept responsibility for those in his or her employ. It's just the way the rest of the world does it. Frankly I am a bit of a fan of Steve and his horses, but fair is fair.
I sure hope this doesn't mean racing will start using asterisks, like baseball does.