Mullins could face sanctions over Gato Go Win
By David Grening

http://www.drf.com/news/article/102770.html

Jeff Mullins, the trainer of potential Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge, could face sanctions from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board after Mullins was observed giving Gato Go Win medication in the race-day security barn Saturday, necessitating the colt's scratch from the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes.

According to Joe Mahoney, a racing board spokesman, "Mr. Mullins was observed administering an over-the-counter product called Air Power to the horse in the security barn. He had also apparently taken a syringe into the security barn. As a result, the stewards directed that Gato Go Win be scratched."

Air Power is an expectorant that helps loosen phlegm and clear bronchial airways. One New York trainer likened it to a liquid form of Vick's VapoRub that can be given in most states, including New York, but it is not allowed to be given in the security barn. It is administered orally by use of a metal dose syringe. Mullins could face penalties because it is forbidden to bring anything into the race-day security barn, which the New York Racing Association instituted in 2005.

The board said the stewards did not deem it necessary to scratch I Want Revenge from the Wood Memorial - a race he won by 1 1/2 lengths despite a brutal trip.

"There was no incident involving I Want Revenge, who was under surveillance in the security barn prior to racing," said Mahoney.

Just to clarify a few things about the detention barns at NYRA:

If you are one minute late to the detention barns you are fined and scratched.

Everything is searched when you go in...All bags are emptied, even your electric cords are checked.

There are security cameras in place in all barns.

You can only bring unopened drinks into the holding area. At first they wouldn't allow gatorade but they allow that now.

You have to have someone with your horse pretty much the whole time. There needs to be someone there for the pre-race vet exam, Lasix, and if you are in a race that is selected fro pre-race CO-2 testing.

As for having NYRA staff handling your horses, No way in hell. The horses are removed from their familiar surroundings and moved into total chaos. There are people moving around, horses in and out. They need someone there that knows the horse and knows how to keep them calm before they race.

Thanks Cherie.. :tro:

We're all concerned over the Airpower when "He had also apparently taken a syringe into the security barn." should be focussed on. What was in the syringe? And if empty who got the dose? How long till IWR's drug tests come back?

The syringe was to administer the Air Power, presumably...

NYRA doesn't employ grooms and or horsemen, just security to oversee everything. I sure wouldn't be handing my horse to some stranger and saying "I'll see you in the paddock for the G1 race in 6 hours..." They do check bags and boxes and totes etc that are brought in. Everyone from hotwalkers to trainers are supposed to be checked. A metal dosing syringe easily fits in the pocket of a jacket and since it was cold, no one would think a fairly heavy coat was odd. Not sure why they failed to check his pockets though.

Common sense would say that they seized the syringe, sent half to the lab and froze the other half to study in xyears.

For some reason I'm not that confident

A question to educate the public. Is it fair to say that the drug that Mullins was trying to adminster to GGW has to be done the day of the race? Thus they have a limited lifespan.

Or what if it was Jeff's syringe?????

Mullins defends detention barn actions
by Ed DeRosa

Jeff Mullins was not happy that New York stewards scratched Gato Go Win from the Bay Shore Stakes (G2) on April 4 at Aqueduct due to a detention barn violation, but the Southern California-based trainer saw a bright side to the situation.

Had security personnel at the Aqueduct detention barn not scolded Mullins for administering AirPower to Gato Go Win, then the trainer most likely would have also administered the drug to I Want Revenge before the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) later on the program.

I Want Revenge won the Wood despite a troubled trip, and the Stephen Got Even colt is one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Joe Mahoney, a spokesman for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, said Sunday that I Want Revenge was under surveillance in the security barn prior to racing, and that his connections did not violate any rules concerning his prerace preparations.

Mullins blamed Aqueduct’s security personnel for the mix-up, saying that they should have confiscated anything that did not belong in the detention barn.

“They looked at everything I carried in, so when they let me through [with AirPower], in my mind, everything was fine,” Mullins said. “Everything was out in the open. Two investigators watched me give the horse the treatment then five minutes later they wanted to see it. If they saw the AirPower and dosing syringe on me the whole time, then why didn’t they stop me?

“If they hadn’t stopped me after I gave [AirPower] to Gato Go Win, then I would have done the same with I Want Revenge.”

MORE: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...n-Actions.aspx

Real "Fat Head" potential:D

I think it's a question many of the betting public would like to be informed about. I'm trying to understand why he(Mullins)what he did, from what I understand Santa Anita has detention barns also so it's not like this was foreign to him. Despite the detention barns at Santa Anita, we still have Trainer's with abnormally high win%'s and Mullins though not out of this world still won a healthy 20+% of his mounts. Meaning there may be ways of beating the system, thus the timing of injecting your horse is a key question in my mind.

The crazy move ups by Mullins though have cooled the recent few years, there were times he was claiming cheap mdn claimers, winning mdn specials only to never see the horses again.

I doubt the stewards would feel better about it if it were Jeff's syringe, would they?

This is why I'd love to see the feed from the security cameras online where thousands of eyes could be watching. I'm not convinced IWR was under continuous surveillace. There's no such thing, even with a dedicated guard assigned to the horse. If the syringe was the vehicle for the AirPower I'm not concerned but if it was something else tell us sooner than later.

As for future trips to New York for racing, Mullins said that the only time he would want to race in New York again would be in the Belmont Stakes (G1) if I Want Revenge wins the Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1).

“I’ve never had a good experience anytime I go to New York, and I will avoid New York at all costs,” Mullins said. “I hope to go there one more time with a Derby-Preakness winner, but I won’t be looking for reasons to go.”
Mahoney said that stewards would confer on Mullins’s detention barn violation later this week—most likely on Wednesday.


Good. DON'T EVER COME BACK!

Seriously, could one human being be any more oblivious to the world at large?

He's basically saying "you cant get away with anything in New York... whaaaa I'm a baby"

:baby:

I think the gentleman quoted in the original article who said (paraphrasing) that "if a horse needs this treatment to get to the finish line, the horse probably shouldn't be running" or something to that effect. Why do trainers give horses Air Power or steroids or anything else when every trainer quoted in an interview basically says these products don't actually give their horses a competitive advantage?