Question on scratching

[beaujolais]

I thought in tb racing the trainer can scratch a horse for lots of reasons and the race office does not get too upset.

If so, I’m wondering why they went through all the trouble in the below link. I do realize the problem is what the vet did, yes. However, couldn’t the trainer just have told the race office the horse has been “not right/trained poorly/etc.”

Why did they enlist the vet and all that? Did they really think it was colic and give him the shot of banamine or that was, perhaps, a made up story? Could he have gotten a shot of banamine and have it not show up in the blood test that was taken? Something about the reasoning/thinking/what was done is going in circles, it seems. I’m not getting it. Thanks.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/new-york-veterinarian-trainer-fined-suspended-stewards/

[Laurierace]

They have what they call scratch time. Before scratch time you can take the horse out for any reason. Just say he didn’t eat this morning or had a little filling in the ankle etc. After scratch time you need a vet’s excuse to get out unless it is a stake race. The problem was getting an official work on the horse. If he hadn’t recorded the work this never would have happened but by working the horse it was obvious they had falsified the scratch. The vet falsified the record by saying they treated the horse when they didn’t. Can’t do that.

[beaujolais]

Thanks Laurie. So, if they had taken the horse out that day but not had an official work it would have been o.k.?

Now, if you take them out in the a.m., had an official work (but would you do that on a race day - probably not, I guess), they went poorly, trainer decided to scratch, no vet, would that have been o.k.?

Thanks.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=beaujolais;8659904]
Thanks Laurie. So, if they had taken the horse out that day but not had an official work it would have been o.k.?

Now, if you take them out in the a.m., had an official work (but would you do that on a race day - probably not, I guess), they went poorly, trainer decided to scratch, no vet, would that have been o.k.?

Thanks.[/QUOTE]
It wouldn’t have been “ok” but they would have had less likely to get caught. If they had done the official work before the vet scratch they would have been fine but you are correct, no one does that.

[beaujolais]

Gotcha, thanks.

One more: Say, a trainer didn’t like the way a horse went the day before a race (not lame, maybe just a bit lethargic/not right/not whatever) and scratches the horse. Does the racing office need a vets “report” or anything?

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=beaujolais;8659937]
Gotcha, thanks.

One more: Say, a trainer didn’t like the way a horse went the day before a race (not lame, maybe just a bit lethargic/not right/not whatever) and scratches the horse. Does the racing office need a vets “report” or anything?[/QUOTE]
Yes. The vet has to say the horse isn’t fit to run that day for whatever reason it may be. Doesn’t necessarily have to be something that needed medicated but still needs to be examined by the vet and advised not to run.

[beaujolais]

Thanks again! Say, if a trainer wants to scratch for “track conditions” (but not one that is really obvious like “mud”), something like trainer finding the track is pretty hard lately and it just does not suit that horse, does the secretary’s office question or give the trainer a hard time at all? (I’m sure part of that depends on who you are, perhaps ;).)