David Jacobson: Toque & Uncle Smokey

Jacobson had three Horses that fit this same pattern that were entered on Thursday (yesterday) and today Friday.

1. Rift was entered in yesterday's 7th Race for 12.5K but was scratched by the NYRA Vet. He was dropped from the 25K that Jacobson paid for him last month.

2. El Oh El is entered in today's 3rd race for 20K was claimed by Jacobson for 35K at Saratoga but raced for as low as 12.5K and will be making his 8th start in 12 weeks.

3. Force Multiplier entered in the same race as El Oh El, was claimed for 25K at Saratoga. Dropped to 12.5K where he won, now has to run at the higher 20,000 N3L condition.


Pres

Zorn is also blogging about the same thing. Seems like he also has it in for DJ. Going to be interesting to see whether NYRA will start looking into what's going on, In fairness to DJ he isn't doing anything wrong by shipping and dropping horses in price. Unless he can be connected to sending horses to the slaughter house don't see what can be done.

Wiz not sure but I believe several venues including NY prohibit owners and trainers from dealing with slaughter house under threat of being barred.

Agreed Wiz.

Wiz:

David Jacobson has a VERY dubious past, please research what has happened to him.
On the surface what he's doing is legal, yes. But if Maggi Moss says there's something wrong then I believe her. She is a big time Owner and Lawyer.

When there is smoke there's fire... And I see a lot of smoke


Pres

Lt1, unfortunately I don't think New York has a strong law (yet). There was legislation introduced back in April to ban horse slaughter or and to prohibit transport of horses to Canada for slaughter.

( www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/new-york-lawmakers-introduce-bill-banning-horse-slaughter/ )

I haven't been able to find anything in the news that indicates whether or not it was passed, or even voted upon.

Suffolk Downs, by the way, was the first track in the US (back in 2008) to implement a zero-tolerance policy for owners and trainers who house their horses at Suffolk Downs. Their CEO's Foundation (Fields Family Foundation) has also established a home for retired race horses in Plymouth, MA.

From what I found, virtually every other thoroughbred track in the US has adopted a similar policy to that at Suffolk Downs.

This is the ugly side of racing. Wiz - You're correct but it's also wrong, IMHO, to dope and run unsound horses until they break down.I think Maggie Moss is gtreat but she also plays the claiming game. Have all of her former claimers been retired to farms, 2nd careers erc.? George - See the bold in the following.

Jacobson absolved of wrongdoing in racehorse found at slaughterhouse
By David Grening
DRF

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The New York Racing Association found there was “no wrongdoing” on the part of trainer David Jacobson involving the finding of the horse Toque at a slaughterhouse in Pennsylvania last September, according NYRA steward Braulio Baeza Jr.

Though Toque was rescued from a slaughterhouse in New Holland, Pa., he was euthanized about 10 days later on a farm on Long Island due to infirmities.

Under NYRA house rules, any owner or trainer found knowingly to sell a horse for slaughter can have their stalls permanently revoked. Jacobson was the leading trainer on this circuit in 2013 with a record 164 victories.

“Our finding is that there was no wrongdoing on his part,” Baeza said.

Jacobson claimed Toque for $25,000 from trainer Charlton Baker and owner Francis Paolangeli on March 21 at Aqueduct. Toque, a half-brother to the multiple stakes winner Notacatbutallama, finished fifth for $6,000 at Monmouth on May 27. Jacobson then shipped him to Suffolk Downs, where Toque was pulled up midway through a $4,000 claiming race for which he was the 1-5 favorite on June 19.

According to records Jacobson provided Daily Racing Form, Jacobson transferred Toque to Maura O’Connor on June 28. O’Connor, whose daughter works as an exercise rider at Aqueduct, has a farm in Massachusetts where she houses myriad breeds of horses, only a few Thoroughbreds.

According to O’Connor, who spoke to Baeza and later Daily Racing Form on Thursday, Toque and a non-Thoroughbred that belonged to O’Connor had become too ornery to be on her farm. O’Connor gave both horses to someone she thought had found a home for them. O’Connor had given this person, who she declined to name, several horses in the past without incident.

“I thought we were doing both a favor,” O’Connor said. “Boy, were we wrong.”

On Sept. 6, Jacobson, received a call from Helen Volshonok - a Manhattan resident who volunteers for AnotherChance4Horses, a rescue, rehabilitation and placement facility in Bernville, Pa. - notifying him that Toque was found at a slaughterhouse in New Holland, a small town in Lancaster County in south-central Pennsylvania.

“In the case of Toque he did come into action right away when made aware of the situation,” Volshonok told Daily Racing Form. “He did seem to be worried about Toque when I called him. He should have come up with a better plan for him absolutely. Maybe that’s something he should think about.”

After reaching out to O’Connor, Jacobson authorized her to buy Toque for $580 to get the horse out of the slaughterhouse. On Sept. 9, the horse was picked up at New Holland and sent to another farm in Pennsylvania for a week. On Sept. 16, Toque was vanned to Mill Ridge Farm in Calverton, N.Y., where Jacobson sends many of his horses that are getting time off.

Robin Gibbs, who operates Mill Ridge Farm, said when Toque arrived, he had a high fever. Gibbs said that Toque was treated with penicillin and Banamine but the fever did not go down. She contacted veterinarian Dr. Camillo Sierra, who on Sept. 17 said the horse needed to be euthanized. Sierra contacted Jacobson to tell him that’s what needed to be done.

“He was unable to eat, his throat was really bad and he wasn’t responding [to medication],” Gibbs said. “He was so sick and wouldn’t come out of it.”

Sierra is currently hospitalized and was unavailable for comment.

Toque, who began his career with trainer Peter Pugh for owner/breeder Happy Hill Farm, won 10 races from 30 starts and earned $176,996.

The New York stewards were made aware of Toque’s situation by NYRA chief examining vet Anthony Verderosa as well as through social media, where many made derogatory comments about Jacobson and his practices.

“When it’s in the best interest of the horse I retire them, whether they’re 2 or 12,” Jacobson said. “I’m not batting 1,000, but my average is way up there.”

It's funny but the day Maggi Moss starts asking questions about Jacobson, NYRA out of the blue gives the results to their investigation. Yet they never seemed to mention he was under investigation. Also quite convenient that the Vet was not able to comment........



Pres