Asmussen suspended for 6 months

[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.