March 10th, 2008 ·
Arelia Margarita Taveras had it all: she was a successful lawyer with her own law practice; she appeared on television shows; she was making a lot of money. Then to relieve stress and take a break, she decided to head to Atlantic City. That was the start of a downward spiral that she couldn’t control. She was addicted to gambling and lost over $1 Million. She stole money from her clients. She was disbarred and faces criminal charges. She lost her New York apartment, her parents’ house and owes the IRS $58,000. Eventually, she spent a year in rehab to come to grips with her gambling addiction. She now lives in Minnesota and works at a telephone call center.
So what does she do? She files a $20 Million lawsuit against the casinos claiming they should have known she had a problem and not allowed her to continue gambling. I understand that when someone has an addiction that it can control her life and she will do things that would otherwise be unthinkable. Nevertheless, I also think this is a case of someone not taking personal responsibility. She is going to have a hard time showing that the casinos owed her a duty to send her home. She was treated as a high roller at the casinos. She enjoyed free limo rides and brought her dog with her to the gambling tables. How would a casino know that she didn’t have enough money to gamble as she did? Why would it be a casino’s responsibility to monitor all of its gamblers to insure that there are no addicts?
Ms. Taveras is working to get her life back together. She should accept responsibility for her actions and move forward in a positive direction. Instead of wasting her time with this lawsuit, perhaps it would be beneficial for her to help other addicts in their recovery process. This might just be the career change she needs. It was her decision to gamble, she stole money from her clients, she spent days at the casinos. Does anyone take responsibility anymore?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23538746/
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
SOS for "Refinery"
REFINERY - A DEAD(ENED) RACEHORSE
Bred by Dr. Lance Bell of Kentucky, Refinery is a 2003 son of Victory Gallop who sold for $200,000 at the 2003 Fall Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland. He would be sold again at Keeneland in 2005 as a two year old in training bringing a price of $425,000. Unfortunately, Refinery's racing career would not be nearly as lucrative as his purchasers had hoped.
Refinery ran his most impressive race on August 24, 2006 when he came in under the wire first and brought home $40,000 for his connections. At some point, while under the care of, and being trained by, Richard Mandella, Refinery underwent a posterior digital neurectomy which effectively deadened the rear portion of one of his hooves.
The procedure is commonly known as "heel nerving". The "logic" here is if the horse can't feel the pain, he will be able to continue to race,perform better, and bring in more money for his connections.
Refinery would only run twice more for trainer Mandella and owner B. Wayne Hughes before being claimed for $50,000 by Dan MacFarlane for owner Les Blake. Refinery quickly dropped in class.
Refinery did not race in 2007. We don't know the exact reason(s) why, but we presume that after being claimed by MacFarlane, Refinery was sent to Arizona to race. For reasons unknown to many, Mr. MacFarlane was not informed at the time he claimed Refinery that he had been nerved. Only two states ban nerved horses from racing and Arizona is one of them.
This grand gelding was sent back to race in California in 2008.
With no ban on nerved horses, Refinery was allowed to race eleven times on his now- deadened heel. He brought in only $13,000 for his connections. His days of running in stakes races are long over as he continues to run at the claiming level.
Refinery has been raced eight times in 2009 already, with two of his races being a mere six days apart. As is common for sore horses, Refinery attempted to go wide on the turn for home in his April 10 race as he had in previous races. He felt the sting of the whip 12 times as his jockey attempted to keep him from bearing out as well as to get the last bit of effort out of the gelding.
Refinery has been claimed twice thus far this year, first by James Haverty in January and then by Jerry Hollendorfer in April.
Every time Refinery steps onto the track, his life is in danger as are the lives of every other horse and jockey going out with him. When will he be allowed to quit? When he becomes an Eight Belles? Or will it be when he too is found standing crippled and terrified in a direct to slaughter pen at an auction? Read full article >>
TAKE ACTION
Please help us save Refinery and others from being put directly into harm's way.
1. Contact the Thoroughbred Owners of California and in the subject line type "Attention Marsha Naify, Chair" and email her at toc@toconline.com .
2. Contact Mike Marin of the California Horse Racing Board at mikem@chrb.ca.gov or call him at 714-240-1870.
3. Contact Alex Waldrop of the NTRA at AlexWaldrop@ntra.com and Eric Wing at the NTRA at ewing@ntra.com .
4. Email James Gowen at the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau jgowen@trpb.com .
Let all of these people know that you neither support the racing of heel nerved horses nor the deception perpetrated on the betting public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY'S HORSE
Tuesday's Horse is not fully posted, but there is still plenty of news for Members, and non-Members.
Go here to view: http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/
That's it, and thanks everybody.
Cheers,
Vivian Grant,
President
Int'l Fund for Horses
Become a Member
Pledge a Monthly Gift
Donate to the Fund
Donate to Charities
Visit Our Website
Tuesday's Horse
Subscribe to Alerts
IFH on Twitter
Skype us at fund.for.horses
Call Vivian at 202.657.5275
Int'l Fund for Horses, Member League of OIPA
Organisation Internationale pour la Protection des Animaux
OIPA is an NGO associated to the UN Department of Public Information
Bred by Dr. Lance Bell of Kentucky, Refinery is a 2003 son of Victory Gallop who sold for $200,000 at the 2003 Fall Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland. He would be sold again at Keeneland in 2005 as a two year old in training bringing a price of $425,000. Unfortunately, Refinery's racing career would not be nearly as lucrative as his purchasers had hoped.
Refinery ran his most impressive race on August 24, 2006 when he came in under the wire first and brought home $40,000 for his connections. At some point, while under the care of, and being trained by, Richard Mandella, Refinery underwent a posterior digital neurectomy which effectively deadened the rear portion of one of his hooves.
The procedure is commonly known as "heel nerving". The "logic" here is if the horse can't feel the pain, he will be able to continue to race,perform better, and bring in more money for his connections.
Refinery would only run twice more for trainer Mandella and owner B. Wayne Hughes before being claimed for $50,000 by Dan MacFarlane for owner Les Blake. Refinery quickly dropped in class.
Refinery did not race in 2007. We don't know the exact reason(s) why, but we presume that after being claimed by MacFarlane, Refinery was sent to Arizona to race. For reasons unknown to many, Mr. MacFarlane was not informed at the time he claimed Refinery that he had been nerved. Only two states ban nerved horses from racing and Arizona is one of them.
This grand gelding was sent back to race in California in 2008.
With no ban on nerved horses, Refinery was allowed to race eleven times on his now- deadened heel. He brought in only $13,000 for his connections. His days of running in stakes races are long over as he continues to run at the claiming level.
Refinery has been raced eight times in 2009 already, with two of his races being a mere six days apart. As is common for sore horses, Refinery attempted to go wide on the turn for home in his April 10 race as he had in previous races. He felt the sting of the whip 12 times as his jockey attempted to keep him from bearing out as well as to get the last bit of effort out of the gelding.
Refinery has been claimed twice thus far this year, first by James Haverty in January and then by Jerry Hollendorfer in April.
Every time Refinery steps onto the track, his life is in danger as are the lives of every other horse and jockey going out with him. When will he be allowed to quit? When he becomes an Eight Belles? Or will it be when he too is found standing crippled and terrified in a direct to slaughter pen at an auction? Read full article >>
TAKE ACTION
Please help us save Refinery and others from being put directly into harm's way.
1. Contact the Thoroughbred Owners of California and in the subject line type "Attention Marsha Naify, Chair" and email her at toc@toconline.com .
2. Contact Mike Marin of the California Horse Racing Board at mikem@chrb.ca.gov or call him at 714-240-1870.
3. Contact Alex Waldrop of the NTRA at AlexWaldrop@ntra.com and Eric Wing at the NTRA at ewing@ntra.com .
4. Email James Gowen at the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau jgowen@trpb.com .
Let all of these people know that you neither support the racing of heel nerved horses nor the deception perpetrated on the betting public.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY'S HORSE
Tuesday's Horse is not fully posted, but there is still plenty of news for Members, and non-Members.
Go here to view: http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/
That's it, and thanks everybody.
Cheers,
Vivian Grant,
President
Int'l Fund for Horses
Become a Member
Pledge a Monthly Gift
Donate to the Fund
Donate to Charities
Visit Our Website
Tuesday's Horse
Subscribe to Alerts
IFH on Twitter
Skype us at fund.for.horses
Call Vivian at 202.657.5275
Int'l Fund for Horses, Member League of OIPA
Organisation Internationale pour la Protection des Animaux
OIPA is an NGO associated to the UN Department of Public Information
Tainted Vitamins to Blame in Polo Pony Deaths?
UNDIAGNOSED POISONING, EQUINE - USA (03): (FLORIDA)
***************************************************
Will Insurance Cover these "accidental" deaths?
Hummmmm.....
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 22 Apr 2009
Source: The Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post report [edited]
Polo captain: tainted vitamin killed 21 ponies
----------------------------------------------
The 21 polo ponies that died in Wellington Sunday [19 Apr 2009] were all
injected before the game with a vitamin supplement called Biodyl, and team
members believe a tainted dose caused their deaths, the team's captain
said. Juan Martin Nero, captain of the Lechuza Caracas polo team, told the
La Nacion newspaper in Buenos Aires that all of the horses had received
Biodyl injections before the game. "We don't have any doubts about the
origin of the problem," Nero said. "There were 5 horses that weren't given
the vitamin and they are the only ones that are fine."
Biodyl is a French-made supplement that contains vitamin B, selenium, and
chromium, La Nacion reported. Nero said that Biodyl "is what the horses are
always given. For us, the suspicions are that there was something bad in
the laboratory," Nero said. "They're common vitamins that aren't given to
improve performance but rather to help them recover from exhaustion."
Dr Scott Swerdlin, a veterinarian at the Palm Beach Equine Club who helped
treat the animals as they were dying, told the Post that Biodyl is not
approved for use or sale in the United States. But a licensed veterinarian
could obtain Biodyl by submitting a prescription to a pharmacy containing
the recipe for the supplement, he said.
If Biodyl shows up on the tests, now being done in Kissimmee and
Gainesville, an independent lab should determine if the Biodyl mix was
correct, said Swerdlin. "Biodyl is routinely used in Europe as a vitamin
supplement," Swerdlin said. "My practice does not use it."
"It's dangerous," Kentucky-based veterinarian Fernando Garcia told La
Nacion. "Ordering it from France isn't an easy task because you have to
specify what its use will be and in what animal. In the case of the polo
ponies' deaths, I don't think it was Biodyl but it could have been an
imitation."
Well-known Wellington polo patron Neil Hirsch, who co-owns the
Bridgehampton Polo Club on Long Island, said vitamins are commonly used but
rarely administered on a game day. "Everybody gives their polo horses
vitamins," Hirsch said. "But they're given on a Monday or Tuesday when no
one's playing. You just don't give them the day of a match."
Dr Christie Ward, a veterinarian at the University of Minnesota, said that
supplements are generally unlikely to harm horses but that some contain
substances that could prove harmful in large quantities. Selenium, a
substance found in Biodyl, "can be toxic when administered at too high a
level," she said. But she added that "in general, there does not seem to be
any high incidence of adverse reactions."
As the investigation into the horses' deaths presses on, a swirl of
speculation is surrounding the renowned polo team's Argentine veterinarian.
Felix Crespo, a former competitive polo player, was the Lechuza Caracas
team's top man in charge of the horses' health, and he would have been the
one to oversee their diet and any supplements or injections they may have
received, people familiar with the team say. A call to Crespo's cell phone
in Argentina was answered by his daughter, who said he was still in Palm
Beach County.
[byline: Andrew Marra, Bill DiPaolo]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Biodyl is manufactured by Merial in France. The product is not sold in the
US, but it is believed that the team purchased a generic brand in the US.
If that is the case, then it may be a compounded (specifically made by a
pharmacy) product. This is mentioned in the article above.
Even if the product is a compounded product it does not mean the pharmacy
is at fault. Any person seeking to maliciously harm the team or the animals
could have injected the bottles. Although the team captain seems certain it
was the supplement, it remains unproven as of this writing.
There is also the possibility of a mixing error, and that there is too much
or too little of a substance in the mixture. The moderator understands that
University of Florida at Gainesville, completed the gross necropsies and
that now the task of testing tissues and examining them histologically will
begin. Perhaps the university will reach out to other diagnostic
laboratories to help diagnose and confirm what has happened. There are a
number of good toxicology and veterinary drug testing laboratories across
the country.
We remain hopeful that urine on these animals was collected as it is an
excellent sample for testing for drugs, in the event the bottles of vitamin
mix were tainted with something. - Mod.TG
The state of Florida can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at. - CopyEd.MJ]
[see also:
Undiagnosed poisoning, equine - USA (02): (FL) 20090422.1512
Undiagnosed poisoning, equine - USA (FL) 20090420.1494]
***************************************************
Will Insurance Cover these "accidental" deaths?
Hummmmm.....
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Wed 22 Apr 2009
Source: The Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post report [edited]
Polo captain: tainted vitamin killed 21 ponies
----------------------------------------------
The 21 polo ponies that died in Wellington Sunday [19 Apr 2009] were all
injected before the game with a vitamin supplement called Biodyl, and team
members believe a tainted dose caused their deaths, the team's captain
said. Juan Martin Nero, captain of the Lechuza Caracas polo team, told the
La Nacion newspaper in Buenos Aires that all of the horses had received
Biodyl injections before the game. "We don't have any doubts about the
origin of the problem," Nero said. "There were 5 horses that weren't given
the vitamin and they are the only ones that are fine."
Biodyl is a French-made supplement that contains vitamin B, selenium, and
chromium, La Nacion reported. Nero said that Biodyl "is what the horses are
always given. For us, the suspicions are that there was something bad in
the laboratory," Nero said. "They're common vitamins that aren't given to
improve performance but rather to help them recover from exhaustion."
Dr Scott Swerdlin, a veterinarian at the Palm Beach Equine Club who helped
treat the animals as they were dying, told the Post that Biodyl is not
approved for use or sale in the United States. But a licensed veterinarian
could obtain Biodyl by submitting a prescription to a pharmacy containing
the recipe for the supplement, he said.
If Biodyl shows up on the tests, now being done in Kissimmee and
Gainesville, an independent lab should determine if the Biodyl mix was
correct, said Swerdlin. "Biodyl is routinely used in Europe as a vitamin
supplement," Swerdlin said. "My practice does not use it."
"It's dangerous," Kentucky-based veterinarian Fernando Garcia told La
Nacion. "Ordering it from France isn't an easy task because you have to
specify what its use will be and in what animal. In the case of the polo
ponies' deaths, I don't think it was Biodyl but it could have been an
imitation."
Well-known Wellington polo patron Neil Hirsch, who co-owns the
Bridgehampton Polo Club on Long Island, said vitamins are commonly used but
rarely administered on a game day. "Everybody gives their polo horses
vitamins," Hirsch said. "But they're given on a Monday or Tuesday when no
one's playing. You just don't give them the day of a match."
Dr Christie Ward, a veterinarian at the University of Minnesota, said that
supplements are generally unlikely to harm horses but that some contain
substances that could prove harmful in large quantities. Selenium, a
substance found in Biodyl, "can be toxic when administered at too high a
level," she said. But she added that "in general, there does not seem to be
any high incidence of adverse reactions."
As the investigation into the horses' deaths presses on, a swirl of
speculation is surrounding the renowned polo team's Argentine veterinarian.
Felix Crespo, a former competitive polo player, was the Lechuza Caracas
team's top man in charge of the horses' health, and he would have been the
one to oversee their diet and any supplements or injections they may have
received, people familiar with the team say. A call to Crespo's cell phone
in Argentina was answered by his daughter, who said he was still in Palm
Beach County.
[byline: Andrew Marra, Bill DiPaolo]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Biodyl is manufactured by Merial in France. The product is not sold in the
US, but it is believed that the team purchased a generic brand in the US.
If that is the case, then it may be a compounded (specifically made by a
pharmacy) product. This is mentioned in the article above.
Even if the product is a compounded product it does not mean the pharmacy
is at fault. Any person seeking to maliciously harm the team or the animals
could have injected the bottles. Although the team captain seems certain it
was the supplement, it remains unproven as of this writing.
There is also the possibility of a mixing error, and that there is too much
or too little of a substance in the mixture. The moderator understands that
University of Florida at Gainesville, completed the gross necropsies and
that now the task of testing tissues and examining them histologically will
begin. Perhaps the university will reach out to other diagnostic
laboratories to help diagnose and confirm what has happened. There are a
number of good toxicology and veterinary drug testing laboratories across
the country.
We remain hopeful that urine on these animals was collected as it is an
excellent sample for testing for drugs, in the event the bottles of vitamin
mix were tainted with something. - Mod.TG
The state of Florida can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at
[see also:
Undiagnosed poisoning, equine - USA (02): (FL) 20090422.1512
Undiagnosed poisoning, equine - USA (FL) 20090420.1494]
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Accused Craigslist Killer Owed Gambling Debts
I wonder if he played the ponies?
By LISA FLETCHER, MICHELE MCPHEE, JIM AVILA, RICHARD ESPOSITO and SARAH NETTER
April 21, 2009
A police source close to the investigation of the Boston man charged with robbing two women he met on Craigslist and killing one says a search of Philip Markoff's house turned up guns and plastic ties, and police believe his motive in the crimes was to pay off gambling debts.
Medical student engaged to be married charged with killing a masseuse in Boston.But Markoff's fiancee, who lived with him, said police have got the wrong guy.
At first glance, Markoff doesn't seem to fit the murder-suspect stereotype -- the blond, clean-cut 22-year-old is a medical student and is engaged to be married this summer.
But according to police, he robbed two women he solicited throughpersonal ads on Craigslist, killing one of them, Julissa Brisman, in an upscale Boston hotel.
Markoff was charged with murder in the shooting death of Brisman, 26, at the Copley Marriott Hotel April 14. He was also charged with armed robbery and kidnapping in an alleged attack on another woman April 10 at the Westin Hotel, according to a statement released by the Boston Police Department.
His fiancee Megan McAllister told ABC News the police are wrong.
"Unfortunately, you were given wrong information as was the public," McAllister wrote to ABC News in an e-mail. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly! A police officer in Boston (or many) is trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations. What else is new?? Philip is an intelligent man who is just trying to live his life so if you could leave us alone we would greatly appreciate it. We expect to marry in August and share and wonderful, meaningful life together."
-----------
UPDATE: April 22, 2009
Latest news story on the Craiglist Killer is that a search of his home turned up items belonging to the victims.
Wonder what girlfriend has to say about her honey now. Will she blindly stand by her man in light of this new evidence?
"There is none so blind as those who refuse to see"
Monday, April 20, 2009
Poison Suspected in Death of Polo Ponies
Ginny Powell of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic administered care to a dying horse on Sunday.
by Karen Crouse, NYTimes
April 21, 2009
WELLINGTON, Fla. — The Lechuza Caracas farm is set off from the road by a giant hedge, and through bare patches, one could see at least 10 horses, their tails flicking as they grazed in a field, in a tableau of normalcy that no longer exists.
On Monday, the deaths of 21 polo horses from Lechuza Caracas, a Venezuelan-based team, were being mourned. The team was preparing to compete in a quarterfinal match of the United States Open Polo Championship on Sunday when a few of its horses collapsed at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. As they were being tended to, several other horses became disoriented and collapsed in a dominolike chain.
By Sunday night, 15 horses were dead. Six others died overnight. In a few frantic hours, Lechuza Caracas’s most treasured performers had been lost. In the world of polo, the riders are considered less valuable. Some horses belonged to the owner of Lechuza Caracas, the Venezuelan multimillionaire Victor Vargas, and some were owned by the team’s individual riders.
Peter Rizzo, the executive director of the United States Polo Association, said that his organization opened an investigation Monday as state agriculture scientists in Kissimmee began performing necropsies on eight carcasses.
“We’re still reeling from this,” Rizzo said in a telephone interview. “I cannot even process the horror from yesterday.”
He added that veterinarians who treated the animals said they believed the blame lies with a toxin that all the horses consumed. An examination of the tissues, organs and blood of the dead animals should reveal whether the toxins were ingested or injected.
The veterinarian Paul Wollenman of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, said in a statement, “We do know that based on overwhelming clinical evidence, this event was isolated to the Lechuza barn horses and the initial evidence shows no infectious element.”
At the Lechuza Caracas horse farm here, a makeshift memorial composed of bouquets of roses and perennials took shape at the foot of the keypad outside the front gates. Rizzo, who has been in contact with Vargas, said, “He definitely is in shock and mourning.”
The Lechuza Polo team said in a statement: “For the last three decades, Lechuza Polo has participated in polo championships and tournaments all around the globe. In that time, we have not encountered such a dire situation like this as our horses receive the most professional and dedicated care possible.”
Spectators at the competition described a surreal scene: blue tarps popped up on the field as team officials tended to fallen horses, and veterinarians raced from the stands to form a triage unit to help the wobbly animals. Each of the horses was 10 or 11 years old and worth about $100,000.
“I’ve been playing polo for 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Nacho Figueras, a rider for Black Watch, the team that was to oppose Lechuza Caracas. “The horses started collapsing. It was really a bad scene. Me and the other riders went and helped all the grooms. There were 20 vets on site and they were all trying to help.”
The horses began becoming ill 45 minutes before the scheduled start of the match. Several minutes later, officials announced that the match had been canceled and an exhibition match featuring the Black Watch team would be held instead.
The Lechuza Caracas team withdrew from the competition. The other players and club representatives have opted to continue with the event as a way of honoring the Lechuza horses. The semifinals will be held, as scheduled, on Wednesday.
John Wash, the president of club operations at International Polo, said in a statement, “We continue to stay in contact with everyone touched by this event and share in their grief.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/sports/othersports/21polo.html?_r=1&hp
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Mishap claims Two Horses at Finger Lakes track
Tin Cup ChaliceKevin Oklobzija • Staff writer • April 18, 2009
_http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090418/SPORTS/904180333_
(http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090418/SPORTS/904180333)
---- and ---
Tin Cup Chalice killed in training
Race horse with North Country ties killed in freak accident
Published April 18, 2009 12:04 am - Champion race horse was raised in Ray
Brook by co-owners.
_http://www.pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/local_story_108000431.html_
(http://www.pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/local_story_108000431.html)
ROCHESTER, NY (AP) — Tin Cup Chalice, a champion race horse raised in Ray
Brook, was killed Friday in a freak training accident at Finger Lakes
Racetrack.
Tin Cup Chalice, a 4-year-old gelding, was owned by trainer Mike Lecesse
of Farmington and Ray Brook residents Scott Van Laer, a forest ranger, and
Michale Glennon, a Wildlife Conservation Society biologist. He was raised on
the couple's Glen Laer farm in Ray Brook.
Tin Cup Chalice was jogging near the outside fence at the track in
Farmington, 25 miles southeast of Rochester, when he collided with Zany, a
4-year-old colt that had bolted.
Jockey Pedro Rodriguez was treated at a Rochester hospital for undisclosed
injuries and released. Both horses were destroyed. Tin Cup Chalice
sustained a catastrophic spinal injury, a veterinarian said.
"It's like losing a best friend, a brother," Lecesse told the Rochester
Democrat and Chronicle.
Tin Cup Chalice was named the 2008 New York-bred champion 3-year-old male
last Monday. Tin Cup Chalice also was chosen 2008 Horse of the Year at
Finger Lakes after earning $827,280.
Tin Cup Chalice last year became the first horse to sweep the Big Apple
Triple for New York breds. He captured the Mike Lee Handicap at Belmont Park,
the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and the $150,000 Albany Stakes at
Saratoga Race Course. The sweep earned his owners a $250,000 bonus.
He was being pointed to a stakes race at Mountaineer Park May 10.
Tin Cup Chalice overcame two near-death experiences as a foal and a
weanling.
According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the collision occurred
at about 6:20 a.m. Friday. Tin Cup Chalice was galloping in a clockwise
direction, or the opposite way horses race in North America. He was on the
outside fence, which is where horses training in an opposite direction always
gallop.
Zany was participating in a full-speed workout and bolted as he came off
the turn at the top of the stretch. The horses collided about halfway down
the stretch.
Tin Cup Chalice was eastbound and the rising sun played a factor.
"Pedro (Rodriguez) said he didn't even see the horse," track veterinarian
Bob Tugel said. "Five minutes before or five minutes after, he wouldn't
have been blinded (because the sun would have been at a different angle)."
Track veterinarians worked more than 90 minutes on Tin Cup Chalice before
it became apparent the injuries were catastrophic.
Lecesse said the horse was insured.
Ironically, Tin Cup Chalice was scheduled to make his season debut Friday
at Finger Lakes, but the race didn't fill.
"If he would have been in today, he wouldn't haven been on the track this
morning," said Lecesse, who added, "it's nobody's fault."
----------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, April 18, 2009
UPDATE: Paragallo Horses Ready for Adoption, Free to Good Homes
Shame on the "well-known authorized agent" of thoroughbreds, Ernie Paragallo, who let this happen to 177 thoroughbreds on a 500-acre farm in Upstate NY. The perp was ONLY CHARGED with 22 counts of MISDEMEANOR animal cruelty. All of his racing privileges have been revoked.
Click on title above to see VIDEO: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30263095#30263095
ARTICLE: http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/17/1895781.aspx ----> I love Jill Rappaport; she writes: "Thoroughbreds--once beautiful thriving animals--were left for months during one of the worst winters we ever had to fend for themselves."
The Columbia-Greene Humane Society was tipped off and raided the farm, where they seized all the horses. However, the perp has only signed over 67 of the horses to the Humane Society, which ARE UP FOR ADOPTION, FREE to approved homes.
PLEASE CONTACT KATRINA at the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA at (518) 828-6044, x101; and/or e-mail at cghsuser001@aol.com (@aol.com). For more info, go to their website: http://www.cghs.org/horses.htm.
PLEASE INCLUDE your name and phone # on all phone and e-mail messages.
** DONATIONS ARE GREATLY NEEDED and APPRECIATED! **
Donate here: http://www.cghs.org/donation.htm
Click on title above to see VIDEO: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30263095#30263095
ARTICLE: http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/17/1895781.aspx ----> I love Jill Rappaport; she writes: "Thoroughbreds--once beautiful thriving animals--were left for months during one of the worst winters we ever had to fend for themselves."
The Columbia-Greene Humane Society was tipped off and raided the farm, where they seized all the horses. However, the perp has only signed over 67 of the horses to the Humane Society, which ARE UP FOR ADOPTION, FREE to approved homes.
PLEASE CONTACT KATRINA at the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA at (518) 828-6044, x101; and/or e-mail at cghsuser001@aol.com (@aol.com). For more info, go to their website: http://www.cghs.org/horses.htm.
PLEASE INCLUDE your name and phone # on all phone and e-mail messages.
** DONATIONS ARE GREATLY NEEDED and APPRECIATED! **
Donate here: http://www.cghs.org/donation.htm
Friday, April 17, 2009
Banned Suffolk Trainers Reinstated
By Esther Marr
Updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 3:50 PM
Three of the five trainers that were banned from Suffolk Downs last fall for violating its zero tolerance policy toward horse slaughter have been reinstated and will be allowed to saddle horses for the East Boston, Mass. track’s 2009 season, which runs May 2-Nov. 7.
The trainers--Wayne Sargent Jr., Gerry LaFleur, and Tony D’Angelo--last November turned over five of their retired Thoroughbreds to Pam Pompell, who assured them she was taking them to a farm to be retrained for children’s camps or other types of programs.
In reality, Pompell and another trainer, Al Michelson, apparently transported the horses to a farm in Southeastern Massachusetts. Less than a day later, the horses were discovered going through the ring at a small auction house in New York that is known for selling horses to “killer buyers” who will re-sell them for slaughter.
“Gail Vacca, who rescues horses from auctions where they’re going to head to slaughter was the one that tipped off us that (the horses) were down there,” said Chip Tuttle, Suffolk’s chief operating officer. “We bought them out of the auction and donated them to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. So at the time, we made the decision to ban all five trainers.
“But we never said it was a lifetime ban. We never published a policy or put out a press release. We started this policy more than two years ago, and no one even knew about it for a year. We weren’t looking for attention on this; it was just our internal policy.”
Tuttle said over the course of the winter, Sargent, LaFleur, and D’Angelo, who were also refused stalls at Tampa Bay Downs because of the incident, had personally asked to be reinstated at Suffolk, but were denied. It was only after the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association came up with an official proposal for why Suffolk’s decision should be reversed that the officials reconsidered.
“The New England HBPA really took up the cause for these three guys,” said Tuttle. “They said they were duped, that they shouldn’t have been duped, and that the circumstances were extenuating. (In the proposal), it said the trainers would each write letters acknowledging they violated the policy, promising that they wouldn’t do it again, and donating $1,000 to Canter New England and the TRF.”
After significant discussions with the trainers and the HBPA, the proposal was accepted.
“The decision was difficult, but none of these guys had an issue or a record of this in the past,” Tuttle explained. “The story that all three told was consistent, so we decided to let them back in.
“With the New England HBPA, we have stepped up our efforts to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and that every trainer on the backstretch understands whose responsibility this is,” Tuttle added.
He explained how the HBPA had developed its own video that every trainer will be shown as part of an orientation program. Suffolk has also standardized a bill of sale to be used on the backstretch so there are no more misunderstandings in horse transactions.
“There’s no transfer of horses without this bill of sale, and it spells out that the horses cannot be transported to or caused to be transported to one of these auction facilities,” he said.
Tuttle hopes all trainers will from now on comply with the track’s retirement placement program, which takes unwanted horses at the end of each meet. The program humanely retired more than 40 horses to different organizations from its racing stables last year.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50247/banned-suffolk-trainers-reinstated
Updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 3:50 PM
Three of the five trainers that were banned from Suffolk Downs last fall for violating its zero tolerance policy toward horse slaughter have been reinstated and will be allowed to saddle horses for the East Boston, Mass. track’s 2009 season, which runs May 2-Nov. 7.
The trainers--Wayne Sargent Jr., Gerry LaFleur, and Tony D’Angelo--last November turned over five of their retired Thoroughbreds to Pam Pompell, who assured them she was taking them to a farm to be retrained for children’s camps or other types of programs.
In reality, Pompell and another trainer, Al Michelson, apparently transported the horses to a farm in Southeastern Massachusetts. Less than a day later, the horses were discovered going through the ring at a small auction house in New York that is known for selling horses to “killer buyers” who will re-sell them for slaughter.
“Gail Vacca, who rescues horses from auctions where they’re going to head to slaughter was the one that tipped off us that (the horses) were down there,” said Chip Tuttle, Suffolk’s chief operating officer. “We bought them out of the auction and donated them to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. So at the time, we made the decision to ban all five trainers.
“But we never said it was a lifetime ban. We never published a policy or put out a press release. We started this policy more than two years ago, and no one even knew about it for a year. We weren’t looking for attention on this; it was just our internal policy.”
Tuttle said over the course of the winter, Sargent, LaFleur, and D’Angelo, who were also refused stalls at Tampa Bay Downs because of the incident, had personally asked to be reinstated at Suffolk, but were denied. It was only after the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association came up with an official proposal for why Suffolk’s decision should be reversed that the officials reconsidered.
“The New England HBPA really took up the cause for these three guys,” said Tuttle. “They said they were duped, that they shouldn’t have been duped, and that the circumstances were extenuating. (In the proposal), it said the trainers would each write letters acknowledging they violated the policy, promising that they wouldn’t do it again, and donating $1,000 to Canter New England and the TRF.”
After significant discussions with the trainers and the HBPA, the proposal was accepted.
“The decision was difficult, but none of these guys had an issue or a record of this in the past,” Tuttle explained. “The story that all three told was consistent, so we decided to let them back in.
“With the New England HBPA, we have stepped up our efforts to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and that every trainer on the backstretch understands whose responsibility this is,” Tuttle added.
He explained how the HBPA had developed its own video that every trainer will be shown as part of an orientation program. Suffolk has also standardized a bill of sale to be used on the backstretch so there are no more misunderstandings in horse transactions.
“There’s no transfer of horses without this bill of sale, and it spells out that the horses cannot be transported to or caused to be transported to one of these auction facilities,” he said.
Tuttle hopes all trainers will from now on comply with the track’s retirement placement program, which takes unwanted horses at the end of each meet. The program humanely retired more than 40 horses to different organizations from its racing stables last year.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50247/banned-suffolk-trainers-reinstated
Equine Strangles at Fraser Racetrack, BC
Click on title above to read more
http://unnecessaryevils.blogspot.com/2009/04/equine-strangles-canada-british.html
http://unnecessaryevils.blogspot.com/2009/04/equine-strangles-canada-british.html
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thoroughbred Rescue Initiates Derby Day Challenge
On the eve of the 135th Derby in Kentucky, an expert in retraining former race horses for second careers says more thoroughbreds are in danger of going to the slaughterhouse.
Every day we see more and more thoroughbreds sold to be slaughtered
These are animals that have often earned millions of dollars during their racing careers.
What makes this situation even more tragic is that we see so many healthy, young thoroughbreds shipped abroad to be slaughtered
These are horses that are perfectly able to perform well at second careers as pleasure or show horses.
If enough people contributed even a single dollar to horse charities that would help us save so many animals from certain deaths or starvation
Monroe, WA (PRWEB) April 14, 2009 -- On May 2 some of the world's fastest thoroughbreds will race in Kentucky's annual Derby. Yet Melodee Shelley-Bolmgren, founder of the nonprofit organization Chez Chevaux, which rescues and retrains thoroughbreds, says that ex-racers are in greater danger than they have been in years of being sold for slaughter and today announced the Derby Dollar Challenge to raise funds to support expanded thoroughbred rescue.
"Every day we see more and more thoroughbreds sold to be slaughtered," Shelley-Bolmgren says. "These are animals that have often earned millions of dollars during their racing careers." She says Chez Chevaux has received record numbers of calls in recent months from horse owners who can no longer care for their animals.
Shelley-Bolmgren says it costs thousands of dollars to care for a horse each year and, unlike cats or dogs, unwanted horses are often shipped to Canada or Mexico to be sold for meat. "What makes this situation even more tragic is that we see so many healthy, young thoroughbreds shipped abroad to be slaughtered," she says. "These are horses that are perfectly able to perform well at second careers as pleasure or show horses."
Like many other nonprofits, though, Chez Chevaux cannot take any more animals without additional funding as pleas for assistance have increased dramatically during the recession. She says even a dollar's contribution can help save their lives.
The Derby Dollar Challenge:
The inaugural Derby Dollar Challenge is attempting to raise $135,000 by May 2 in recognition of this year's running of the 135th Derby. Donors can make online contributions to Chez Chevaux. Contributions can be made via check or PayPal and are tax-deductible.
Shelley-Bolmgren says even small contributions from individuals help prevent the killing of thoroughbreds, noting that donors should not feel uncomfortable offering what they consider small amounts. "If enough people contributed even a single dollar to horse charities that would help us save so many animals from certain deaths or starvation," she says.
How to Contribute to the Derby Dollar Challenge:
A donation of just a dollar can help save the lives of animals. To take the Dollar Challenge, please go to Chez Chevaux: www.chezchevaux.org.
Facts about Horse Slaughter:
During the last few decades, millions of horses have been slaughtered in the U.S. and Canada and their meat exported to Europe and Japan for human consumption.
It is estimated that a third of all slaughter-bound horses in the U.S. were bred for racing.
Young, sound and purebred horses, as well as those that are infirm and old, are sent to slaughter.
Thoroughbreds and other horses are often shipped up to 30 hours without food or water. When they reach the slaughterhouse, they are driven into a killing factory and bludgeoned with a four-inch bolt gun which drives a spike into their skulls. Their throats are then slit, often while they are still conscious.
Most horses sold at auction are bought by "killer buyers," middlemen for slaughter plants, and often go straight to slaughter without disclosure or the knowledge of the original sellers. Horse slaughter was often not the intent of the animal's owner.
Very little horse meat is used in dog food; it's too expensive, with some cuts selling for over $20 per pound.
Chez Chevaux rescues and retrains thoroughbreds. Founded by noted horsewoman, Melodee Shelley-Bolmgren, Chez Chevaux operates to retrain at-risk thoroughbreds, saving them from abuse and slaughter. Chez Chevaux is a 501C-3 nonprofit, which can be found on the Web at http://www.chezchevaux.org. Melodee is a frequent speaker at events such as The Homes for Horses coalition http://www.homesforhorses.org and has received numerous grants from groups such as the ASPCA and Thoroughbred Charities of America. A video detailing Melodee's efforts in rehabilitating a starving thoroughbred can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ddYDd8Lymw.
###
Click on title above to see vid;
http://www.prweb.com/releases/horseslaughter/kentuckyderby/prweb2323154.htm
Every day we see more and more thoroughbreds sold to be slaughtered
These are animals that have often earned millions of dollars during their racing careers.
What makes this situation even more tragic is that we see so many healthy, young thoroughbreds shipped abroad to be slaughtered
These are horses that are perfectly able to perform well at second careers as pleasure or show horses.
If enough people contributed even a single dollar to horse charities that would help us save so many animals from certain deaths or starvation
Monroe, WA (PRWEB) April 14, 2009 -- On May 2 some of the world's fastest thoroughbreds will race in Kentucky's annual Derby. Yet Melodee Shelley-Bolmgren, founder of the nonprofit organization Chez Chevaux, which rescues and retrains thoroughbreds, says that ex-racers are in greater danger than they have been in years of being sold for slaughter and today announced the Derby Dollar Challenge to raise funds to support expanded thoroughbred rescue.
"Every day we see more and more thoroughbreds sold to be slaughtered," Shelley-Bolmgren says. "These are animals that have often earned millions of dollars during their racing careers." She says Chez Chevaux has received record numbers of calls in recent months from horse owners who can no longer care for their animals.
Shelley-Bolmgren says it costs thousands of dollars to care for a horse each year and, unlike cats or dogs, unwanted horses are often shipped to Canada or Mexico to be sold for meat. "What makes this situation even more tragic is that we see so many healthy, young thoroughbreds shipped abroad to be slaughtered," she says. "These are horses that are perfectly able to perform well at second careers as pleasure or show horses."
Like many other nonprofits, though, Chez Chevaux cannot take any more animals without additional funding as pleas for assistance have increased dramatically during the recession. She says even a dollar's contribution can help save their lives.
The Derby Dollar Challenge:
The inaugural Derby Dollar Challenge is attempting to raise $135,000 by May 2 in recognition of this year's running of the 135th Derby. Donors can make online contributions to Chez Chevaux. Contributions can be made via check or PayPal and are tax-deductible.
Shelley-Bolmgren says even small contributions from individuals help prevent the killing of thoroughbreds, noting that donors should not feel uncomfortable offering what they consider small amounts. "If enough people contributed even a single dollar to horse charities that would help us save so many animals from certain deaths or starvation," she says.
How to Contribute to the Derby Dollar Challenge:
A donation of just a dollar can help save the lives of animals. To take the Dollar Challenge, please go to Chez Chevaux: www.chezchevaux.org.
Facts about Horse Slaughter:
During the last few decades, millions of horses have been slaughtered in the U.S. and Canada and their meat exported to Europe and Japan for human consumption.
It is estimated that a third of all slaughter-bound horses in the U.S. were bred for racing.
Young, sound and purebred horses, as well as those that are infirm and old, are sent to slaughter.
Thoroughbreds and other horses are often shipped up to 30 hours without food or water. When they reach the slaughterhouse, they are driven into a killing factory and bludgeoned with a four-inch bolt gun which drives a spike into their skulls. Their throats are then slit, often while they are still conscious.
Most horses sold at auction are bought by "killer buyers," middlemen for slaughter plants, and often go straight to slaughter without disclosure or the knowledge of the original sellers. Horse slaughter was often not the intent of the animal's owner.
Very little horse meat is used in dog food; it's too expensive, with some cuts selling for over $20 per pound.
Chez Chevaux rescues and retrains thoroughbreds. Founded by noted horsewoman, Melodee Shelley-Bolmgren, Chez Chevaux operates to retrain at-risk thoroughbreds, saving them from abuse and slaughter. Chez Chevaux is a 501C-3 nonprofit, which can be found on the Web at http://www.chezchevaux.org. Melodee is a frequent speaker at events such as The Homes for Horses coalition http://www.homesforhorses.org and has received numerous grants from groups such as the ASPCA and Thoroughbred Charities of America. A video detailing Melodee's efforts in rehabilitating a starving thoroughbred can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ddYDd8Lymw.
###
Click on title above to see vid;
http://www.prweb.com/releases/horseslaughter/kentuckyderby/prweb2323154.htm
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