As a result of continuing investigations into the prescription and administration of medications prohibited for use in racehorses, on May 11, 2009, the director of the Ontario Racing Commission ordered the immediate suspension of the ORC licence of driver/trainer/owner Ross
C. Siddall of Windsor, Ontario. In addition, the director has issued a proposed order to suspend his licence for a period of 10 years, with a $40,000 fine.
ORC Equine Medication Control and Drug Task Force investigators confirmed that, at all material times, Mr. Siddall was trainer/co-owner of the horse, Jojos Image. Records received by the ORC showed that a veterinarian currently under immediate suspension prescribed Aranesp® (darbapoetin alfa or DPO) to Mr. Siddall and Jojos Image.
Darbepoetin-alfa (DPO) is classed as a potent long-lasting form of Erythropoietin (EPO). EPO/DPO has no legitimate use for a horse that is racing. It not only places the horse at risk, it imperils the future of the horse racing industry.
Ontario’s horse racing community is made up of horsepeople, racetracks and associations. As a key partner in the efforts to protect the integrity of horse racing, that community is demonstrating its support of ORC intelligence-led investigative efforts. The community is also serious about protecting the health of the horse, and serious about maintaining the fairness of horse racing.
Through its regulatory actions, the ORC is fulfilling its mandate and sending a strong message to all involved in racing: that the acquisition, possession, administration, as well as the prescription of illegal and non-therapeutic drugs will not be tolerated.
(ORC)
Click here to view a copy of the notice.
Rightly or wrongly
Rightly or wrongly Mr.Siddall believes he is the victim in this particular case, that will be for a panel or superior court judge to determine. This case and some like it may be evidence that it is time to solve a problem that some in this industry have written and spoke about for a while. Should the O.R.C. continue to be both regulator and adjudicator? Preception is one of their (ORC) buzz words, everything is about preception, integrity, conflict of interest etc. etc. Many particpants believe they cannot and do not receive fair treatment from the commission. Rules and regulations are written, re-written, fees and fines continue to rise as do their operating costs and budgets. The regulators cannot and should not pass judgement on particpants whether they be individuals or racetracks or organziations in order to prove that their regulations/policies are the right ones for the industry and therefore provide their justification to the Provinical government for the continued need to increase their budget.
Hi there, I've removed a few
Hi there,
I've removed a few comments from this thread that have not met the SC editorial guidelines.
Please ensure that comments follow the guidelines (available here).
-JP
I think it's time for 90% of
I think it's time for 90% of horsemen to understand that
the people making money (honestly) in the industry, are
educated, well read and are always looking for ways to better
themselves as trainers.
Ask yourself?
When was the last time i spent money with a vet?
When was the last time i took a 3 day course on what makes
an endurance athlete great?
When was the last time i raced my stock in the class it belongs?
etc.
It seems to me, your all pointing fingers at the man.
If you upgrade your knowledge and downgrade your bitterness
The ORC'S budget will go from 13 million to nothing in no time.
And they will be a non factor....
Which means they wont have to run around chasing people
who have no clue what they are doing.
Before Sandy .... Most of you went 2min miles
When Sandy was around you went 55 miles
Since he's been gone your back to 2min miles
and looking for the majic pill that costs $1.00
(hey boys ....... It doesnt exist)
To make money.... you got to put your hands deep in your pocket's
Wake up and Upgrade your Knowledge...
Stop pointing fingers...
Its really sad that all this
Its really sad that all this stuff is going on and the industry is only concerned about its itegrity.Does anybody care about the horse the animal WHO CANT SAY NO TO DRUGS.All they do is give theyre blood and sweat and the purse money goes straight to the owners drivers and trainers. look what happened in the states Marion Jones tests positve on the track field she got jail time.Maybe thats a route we might want to look at. Furthermore what about the honest trainers out there. They are struggling to make a buck because they are doing things the honest way.And yes there are honest trainers out there just look at theyre U.D.R.S. anything under 200 means you probably pretty honest.Lets protect the good and get rid of the bad ones.Its not hard to figure out who the cheaters are.
You know, it's time that we
You know, it's time that we all got together and as a professional, intelligent and open-minded team and do something to help regulate the regulators before there are none of us left. We obviuosly can't count on OHHA because they have their own agenda which doesn't include the majority of its members. We can't blame the judges. For the most part most of them are pretty good guys and easy to get along with. The unfortunate thing is that they are just puppets who's strings are controlled by the higher ups of the commission. We all say that we can't fight the commission or there is nothing we can do, and I am guilty of this. But its obvious that there is something we can do because there are people who have and continue to buck the system and beat the commission. I'm not saying we need to be uncontroled rogues that don't have to follow the rules, what I'm saying is that we have to have a foot to stand on so we aren't walked all over all the time. Yes, punish the guilty but lets be fair to all. I am all for an even playing feild, this sport used to be so much fun but its slowly becoming non-existant. Just like the commission is trying to clean up the sport, we also have to keep them accountable aswell as ourselves. Does anyone have any constructive ideas?
Does going after the little
Does going after the little guy surprise anyone. The ORC has been doing this for years. They seem to stay away from the people that have money behind them.(Some of whom are still racing, even after many positive tests). There doing a real stroke of business going after the small stables.... just ask them.
Marty, you are so correct.
Marty, you are so correct. I owned several horses in Jerry Moffatt's barn. Along with that I spent countless nights in the barn and paddock with him and his animals and while I'm not a horseman I'm also not blind and never over the four years that I was with him I never saw him do anything that would harm an animal. Most of Jerry's and Dan's horses were as you know were racing for the extreme pot of $2,200, yet Mr. Hudon in T.O. also caught with EPO administered in one of his horses is still driving/training. The fact still remains that if someone walks into Mr. Adler's barn or Mr. Siddall's barn and administers these drugs the trainer is held responsible. As far as who will regulate the regulators,I don't know. Windsor raceway is beyond fixing, yet it seems to be the only one where peoples livelyhood is being taken away from them. Yet, as you say no heavyweights in T.O. go down. Strange. [email protected]
Congratulations to the ORC.
Congratulations to the ORC. You are really doing a great job cleaning up the business. You took down the big 3 horse stable. Wait to go. Great job. Heaven forbid you go after the guy that races more than 4 or 5 starts a month. Wouldn't want to go after someone who might have the resources to fight you guys in court. I don't disagree with punishing the guilty, but you guys are making a travesty of the business.
P.S- I was just wondering when I might see my $35000 in purse money that was ordered paid back by the Michelle's Power positive. Ya right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is very brave of marty
It is very brave of marty Adler to comment as he has. Be careful Marty if you should race a horse somewhere you may come up with a positive test!
Absolutely outrageous! This
Absolutely outrageous!
This is not a defence of the guilty, but congratulations ORC!
You have taken down another of the heavyweights in the industry. Ross Siddall. A name that ranks high with all the other heavyweights your crack team of investigators has taken down. Names like Dan McFadden and Jerry Moffatt - all southern Ontario heavyweights who race for those big $2200 purses at Windsor Raceway - heavyweights in the world of harness racing! NOT!!!!
The budget for the ORC jumped from $2.5 million/year to almost $13 million just a couple years ago, with most of the money used in hiring investigators, many of whom are former/retired RCMP, and OPP. Many of whom, who believe a horseperson is guilty until proven innocent!
The one question I have that not one ORC official can answer honestly, is, where are the names from the Diflorio case - names found in his computer over 2 years ago? Names with trainers that race in Toronto? Or have these real heavyweights in the industry, the ones that race for the big money, received immunity?
After 2 years, "..the investigation is ongoing.." is not good enough!
As the late lawyer Leon Paroian once said: "Who will regulate the regulators?"
Frustrated with the performance of the Ontario Racing Commission,
Yours for integrity and transparency,
Marty Adler
[email protected]