Iavarone family theatened before Belmont?
 

I was watching the BC coverage and Michael Iavarone claims that his family was threatened before the Belmont. Something about "if anything happens to Big Brown... I will kill your family" not really sure what he said. His mic was too low and I'm trying to follow the races.

Not sure if he was threatened by peta or who it was but he said it was an extremist

I saw that too... Maybe the reason for the dramatic pull up by Desormeux, or another Ivarone publicity stunt.

Nice job of that by ABC. Sounded like John Clayton (the football insider) or even the mumbling, bumbling Trevor Denman.

That little bit made no sense. It was almost like the broadcast didn't even acknowlege what he was saying. Did you notice Moss and Bailey when they cut back to them? They had that "BS" look on their faces and didn't even say anything. The funny part was when he asked him about where the case stood and his response was well since nothing happened to Big Brown he figured everything was alright. So you have 8 detectives show up at your home because they have substantiated a death threat and they escort you throughout the day and your horse loses and is safe and they say "have a nice day Mr. Ivarone"

Who was the Detective? Fish?

that story had no business being reported on BC day (or at all), it had no relivence with the BC events and why ESPN decided to set this guy up with a microphone and broadcast his story is beyond me. IMO this piece was just trying to shine some sort of postive light on Ivarone (after all the negative sh!t that has been said about him). I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Ivarone himself didn't reach out to ESPN by himself.
Side note- did anyone see his HUGE bodyguard in the paddock with him when they were interviewing him just as Pure Clan was being saddled?

-bt-

The big bodyguard sat in front of me the entire Belmont Stakes card.

I could be wrong, but I think he could have taken me.

Taken you where?

Probably the latter :rolleyes:

The interview was right before a race was about to go I believe and was rushed...they never came back to the story, making it appear to be disjointed and unbelievable(much like their entire broadcast)

Shoddy journalism at best

I saw Ivarone the Friday of Travers weekend at Ciro's,he had no body guard. He was standing by himself, no one paying attention to him, didn't seem worried.......just lonely

That's not exactly fair. First of all, it's Siros, but mostly Iavarone was there many nights and he was always with friends.

However, I never saw a bodyguard there.

My point was he was by himself and at ease......no body guard, standing alone at the bar with no apparent worries..........my apology to the owners of Siros.

I must have been thrown by the lonely comment.

But I get it. You're right.....he didn't seem troubled to be in public there. And certainly nobody seemed to bother him when I was there. And, I was there a lot.

I laughed.

He had the huge bodyguard at SA....My friends and I looked at each other and said "very necessary.":rolleyes: Joe Pesci was tagging along with them on Friday.

Too bad the threat makers didnt follow through.....

Sometimes when you cross the wrong people you need to hire protection. Hopefully for Mr Iavarone and his family whomever he's upset gets over it before as opposed to getting even

And why exactly would that be......

Why didn't they do us all a favor and threaten to duct tape Dutrow's mouth shut?

Seriously if they had a ton of money on a supposed sure thing and BB gets pulled up on purpose that puts you in worse danger, not less, Rudeboyelvis. They're protecting the investment not the horse's safety per se...one just happens to lead to the other as a general rule. I don't think a threat not to let anything happen to BB had to do with keeping him physically sound...I think they meant 'don't screw it up so the horse doesn't get across the line or you'll be sorry.' They might've been better off to pass that on to Kent instead of Iavarone. Sort of a 'scared straight' jockey lesson. Instead his rode as only KD can. :rolleyes: