Trainer of Triple Crown Contender Just Suspended by California Racing Board for Substance Violation
For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2012
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Albany, N.Y. — PETA sent an urgent letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today urging him to order around-the-clock surveillance of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another, who is currently at Belmont Park in preparation for the June 9 Belmont Stakes, in which he could become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 34 years. In its letter, PETA points out that I'll Have Another's trainer, Doug O'Neill, has been cited more than a dozen times for violating numerous drug rules in multiple states and that his horses break down at twice the rate of the national average, according to The New York Times. Last week, the California Horse Racing Board voted to suspend him for 45 days and fine him $15,000 after a horse he was training was found to have elevated carbon dioxide levels. Earlier this month, Gov. Cuomo took temporary control of the New York Racing Association in order to re-establish the public's trust in the state's scandal-plagued horseracing industry and promised to make the safety of horses and jockeys paramount.
"Doug O'Neill's shocking record of drug violations risks horses' lives and damages the already tarnished image of thoroughbred racing," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "Governor Cuomo can put substance behind his promises by telling racing officials not to allow I'll Have Another out of their sight for a minute."
The following are the measures that PETA has asked Gov. Cuomo to implement:
- From June 4 through race day, I'll Have Another should be subject to 24-hour surveillance in a secure detention barn, monitored by state racing officials.
- Any medications or supplements must be administered by a state-appointed veterinarian, who must ensure that they haven't been tampered with.
- All food and water must be supplied by an independent source to ensure that there are no improper additives in them.
- I'll Have Another's blood should be tested on June 4, on race-day morning, and at one other randomly selected time during the detention period.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.