Positive Spin

All is not well between trainer Rick Dutrow and co-president of IEAH, Michael Iavaronne. According to the New York Times on Tuesday, Iavaronne told an ESPN reporter on Monday that Dutrow "was on a a short leash."

Well yea. Especially after one half of the dynamic duo said their operation would be drug free by October 1 (that would be Iavaronne) and the other half got yet another drug violation (that would be Dutrow). Common guys, get on the same page. Clean up your acts or at least learn to spin it like you are trying.

As for the art of the spin, well there actually is something very positive associated with IEAH. The new $17 million equine medical facility near Belmont, that they built, funded and will manage, is slated to open in September and from all reports it is a project worth publicizing.

The state-of-the art-facility which will have stalls for 29 horses, was sorely needed in that neck of the woods. With two surgical suites and the latest in diagnostic equipment, the equine hospital will provide care for horses racing and training in North Jersey and New York. Before its inception, horses training or racing in that area requiring complex medical evaluations were shipped either to Penn or Cornell. This is a practical and more cost effective solution and hopefully will help save the lives of many thoroughbreds.

The Ruffian Equine Medical Center will also boast two superb surgeons on staff: Patty Hogan, who gained national exposure for saving Smarty Jones when he cracked his skull in a starting gate mishap as a 2 year old and James C. Hunt, an equally sought after race-track vet. A throat surgeon, also on staff, is to be announced shortly.

This is truly a good and charitable endeavor and one that IEAH should be pushing to the forefront, ahead of all other drug related, hoof related, trainer related issues and an opportune time seems to be with the imminent announcement of a throat surgeon.

Play to your strengths. Isn't that just common sense? Unless of course there is more to the management of this facility that meets the eye...Makes you wonder.