Beshear reorganizes horse racing authority

By Janet Patton
jpatton1@herald-leader.com

Gov. Steve Beshear on Thursday reorganized the state panel that regulates horse racing in Kentucky, adding several new members that are major Democratic party backers.

Beshear said he was making the move because racing is ”in crisis and immediate, aggressive action is necessary to preserve its integrity.“

The move comes as Ellis Park, a Thoroughbred racetrack in Henderson, abruptly closed on the eve of its 44-day summer meet.

”Any state like ours who claims to be the "Horse Capital of the World' and has a signature industry like the horse industry needs to address these issues very quickly — the medication issues, the safety issues, all of the kinds of things that are creating the crisis that we have right now,“ Beshear said. ”We need to move on it quickly and I believe the group that I have put together will do just that.“

It is unclear how the re-organization will affect the Equine Drug Research Council, which was considering medication rules on steroids and blood-doping agents. The council has been headed by Connie Whitfield, who was not reappointed to the new Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

The commission will have to be approved next year by the state General Assembly.

State Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, a member of the drug council, said on Thursday that the move comes at ”a very inopportune time.“

”With the steroid issue and the Ellis Park situation, it seems to be very odd timing to make a massive change like this,“ Thayer said. ”I don't understand any compelling reason to make a wholesale change in the racing authority like this except for political reasons.“

Several of the ousted members of the authority, such as Whitfield, who is the wife of Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield of Hopkinsville, had Republican connections.

The holdover appointments from the administration of Gov. Ernie Fletcher were Tom Ludt, Vinery stallions co-manager and a former insurance executive, and Dr. Jerry Yon, Lexington gastroenterologist. Another, Thoroughbred consignor Thomas Gaines, also had been previously appointed by Fletcher.

The new appointees include Tracy Farmer, who was state Democratic Party chairman as well as head of an independent fund-raising committee that backed Beshear and was heavily supported by tracks and horse connections seeking casino gambling.

Another, former University of Louisville and Tennessee basketball coach Wade Houston, co-chaired Beshear's inaugural committee with Farmer. The basketball connections also include Michael Pitino, son of UofL coach Rick Pitino.

The father of Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway – attorney Thomas Conway – is also among the appointees.

Former commission vice chairman Frank L. Jones, who owns a Louisville pool business, gave to both Jack Conway and Beshear in the last election cycle.

Thoroughbred owner and Fort Mitchell attorney Travis Burr II in the last year gave $3,500 to the state Democratic party and another $3,500 to the Kentucky Victory 2007 fund, which backed Beshear.

Some of the new panel were appointed by Beshear to the old one in April, including chairman Robert M. Beck, who is the Lexington equine attorney who represented Calumet Farm in its bankruptcy. Beck also put together the world-record $60 million syndication of Fusaichi Pegasus and the syndication of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones.

Here's the complete lineup of the new commission:

• Robert M. Beck Jr., Lexington equine attorney, re-appointed chairman;

• Tracy Farmer, owner of Shadowlawn Thoroughbred farm in Midway, appointed vice chairman;

• Edward S. ”Ned“ Bonnie, Louisville equine attorney, re-appointed;

• Francis Thomas Conway, Louisville trial attorney, Thoroughbred owner and father of Kentucky attorney general Jack Conway;

• John Thomas Ward Jr., Paris Thoroughbred trainer and former commission member;

• Frank L. Jones Jr., owner of Recreonics in Louisville and former commission vice chairman;

• Burr James Travis II, Fort Mitchell attorney and Thoroughbred owner;

• Michael Anthony Pitino, son of University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and Thoroughbred owner;

• Dr. Jerry L. Yon, Lexington gastroenterologist, re-appointed;

• Thomas Gaines, co-owner of Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds, son of the late John Gaines and former commission member;

• Betsy Lavin, owner of Longfield Farm; re-appointed;

• Dr. Foster Northrop, Crestwood equine vet; re-appointed;

• Tom Ludt, co-general manager of Vinery stallion farm and former owner of Cromwell Insurance, re-appointed;

• Alan J. Leavitt, president of standardbred farm Walnut Hall Ltd., re-appointed;

• and Wade Houston, former University of Tennessee coach, former U of L assistant coach and father of Tennessee and NBA star Allan Houston.

• Ex-officio members include Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow; Public Protection Secretary Bob Vance; and Economic Development Secretary Gene Strong.

Here's a listing of those kicked off the commission:

• Connie Whitfield, wife of Republican Rep. Ed Whitfield, vice chair;

• Kerry Cauthen, co-owner of Four Star Sales;

• Dell Hancock, co-owner of Claiborne Farm;

• Franklin S. Kling Jr, Thoroughbred owner and bed and bath conglomerate Saturday Knight Ltd.;

• Doug Hendrickson, Thoroughbred owner, former Maysville bank vice president, developer and owner of Limestone Mortgage;

• and Richard Knock, Union developer and major Republican backer.

Comments

[Bill Adkins]

Beshear said he was making the move because racing is ”in crisis and immediate, aggressive action is necessary to preserve its integrity.“
and
State Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, a member of the drug council, said on Thursday that the move comes at ”a very inopportune time.“

”With the steroid issue and the Ellis Park situation, it seems to be very odd timing to make a massive change like this,“ Thayer said. ”I don't understand any compelling reason to make a wholesale change in the racing authority like this except for political reasons.“

Damon is one of those children that was left behind.

[tvnewsbadge]

I'm not a resident of Kentucky and know nothing about the local politics, but I find it very disturbing that Ms. Whifield was kicked off the commission.

I have been skeptical about the committment of Kentucky's governor to the well being of the racehorses in his state ever since that pissin' little speech he gave in the winners circle at the Kentucky Derby.
He made no reference whatsoever to the Eight Belles targedy that was playing out in front of millions of viewers as even he spoke.

Throwing Ms. Whitfield off this commission confirms my suspicions.

TvNB

[Taxpayer]

TV, if you hang around here long enough you'll realize that this Governor is only about "taking care of his own". He even used it as a campaign slogan. Ms. Whitfield is married to a Republican that is a congressional elected official. That was the only reason she was cut off the committee. She wasn't one of Beshear's "own". This Governor will cut off his nose to spite his face. He doesn't understand the word bi-partisan or even knows what it means. It's good thing he'll only be around for 4 years, bad thing is we still have 3 1/2 years of this cronyism left.

Just ignore the first poster, he's more lost than our Governor.

[Bill Adkins]

TV. note that Taxpayer is defending Damon Thayer - the Damon Thayer who attacked Ms Whitfield recently publicly in a meeting concerning Eight Belles.

Just ignore Taxpayer -- he thought Ernest T. Fletcher was a model for good government.

[The Whitfield conundrum]

I am in general a fan of Ed Whitfield. I especially like the way he sends those leftist idiots at Ditch Mitch and BlueGrass Roots into fits of apoplexy. Whitfield has a way of getting under their skin and I for one enjoy seeing it. He's represented western KY well in Congress.

Having said that, though, I have to take Thayer's side over Mrs. Whitfield. Federal regulation of horse racing is just another roadside against the 10th Amendment and states' rights.

Thayer could give Adkins a solid gold bar and Adkins would complain that it wasn't platinum.

[Correction]

The above should read "broadside," not "roadside."

[Bill Adkins]

Thayer's neither gold nor platinum -he's a lead balloon and a anchor against progress in Kentucky.

[Weatherman]

Atkins, "taxpayer" did not even mention Thayer's name. In fact, no other commenter did until you mentioned him twice. You are nothing but a partisan hack.

[Bill Adkins]

Weatherman, the reason I mentioned Thayer is relative to his comments in the original article. Are you illiterate or simply stupid?

[It's personal]

I really believe Adkins' dislike of Thayer is personal, not political, despite Adkins' looney leftist leanings. I think Adkins' significant other must have left him for Thayer or something like that. I have never seen an individual have a h*rdon for a state legislator like Adkins has for Thayer. There has to be an explanation outside politics and I'd like to hear it.

[jimbo]

The Whitfield dynamic duo is responsible for horses dying a lingering death of starvation acrorss the state. By trying to eliminate slaughter of surplus animals these two have produced a surplus of unwanted animals with no one to feed them. Before long we'll have the Whitfield subsidy for breeders to keep these guys in green pastures inperpetuity. Oh, that they felt the same about childhood nutrition.

[Weatherman]

Atkins, you said "note that Taxpayer is defending Damon Thayer." You need to note that Taxpayer did not mention Thayer. I hope you don't practice law like you comment on blogs. Freakin' shyster.

[Bill Adkins]

It's not personal, it's Republican.

[Bill Adkins]

Freakin' shyster? That's the best you've got? Amateur.

[Weatherman]

Amateur? I suppose that makes you the professional jackass.

[Bill Adkins]

More display of your debating 'skills?' What reasoning! What wit! What??????

[Very telling]

Adkins,I almost wish you HAD said it was personal. By admitting it's partisan, you discredit yourself as a closed-minded hack without any regard for the truth.

Even a die-hard conservative Republican like myself can give credit to Democrats when it's due. The best county judge to date in my lifetime in my home county was a Democrat (current officeholder, a Republican and longtime close friend, excluded). Martha Layne Collins made a lasting contribution to Kentucky by recruiting Toyota. Wallace Wilkinson did great things in improving Kentucky's rural highways by accelerating the paving program and replacing substandard bridges on school bus routes. Kentucky Democrats haven't done much with their power to improve this state, but those are two positive things that Democrats have done for Kentucky. The fact that you are unable to look past "Republican" speaks volumes about you.

[Bill Adkins]

It's Republican and it's telling because of just how low has become the Republican Party. Nationally and locally, it's a perversion of Reaganism, that icon they still hold high, to justify anything that comes to mind. You can't claim morality, you've lost the right; you can't claim national security, that myth is exposed as a lie; you can't claim honesty, corruption is the GOP; you can't claim honor, your hypocrisy is too great. The Republican Party isn't even a shadow of its former honorable self, it's a distasteful decomposed body that CSI wouldn't be able to decipher. Ronald Reagan would be embarrassed to be associated with today's GOP. That you would associate with it in its current state is more than telling, it's your disgrace. How's that for volume?

[You wish]

You wish, Adkins. You can promote your lies, as opposed to the truth about the blame-America first, appease-our-enemies, baby-killing, tax-raising, gay-promoting, promise-anything, race-baiting, patronage-seeking, liberal, elitist, relativistic, lawyer-dominated Democrat Party.

[Bill Adkins]

What I wrote is the truth, you just wish it were not. Handling the truth is not the forte' of the right wing/Republicans as has been repeatedly shown throughout the last eight years. The lies are in your post. But, for the sake of argument, point out where I have been for any of those things you claim? I'll be waiting. A long time.

[lurking about]

Adkins is nothing but a little piss ant lawyer from the sticks. He wants to be big time so much but all he can get are those disability and SSI cases. One day he will learn that the Democrat Party has no use for him. And for the record, the post from "you wish" is very accurate.

[Bill Adkins]

Don't project, lurker. I don't do SSI or disability cases - take your psych history and your case elsewhere.

[Elizabeth]

I'm really tired of how posts on important topics turn into personal bickering usually involving Bill Adkins. It's about as benefical to the public debate as a snarling contest between a ground hog and hound dog.

[Bill Adkins]

I agree, Elizabeth. Note how rather than discuss the issues people like Weatherman and Lurker attack the messenger. The thread goes off topic, I respond and I likely help them in their agenda. I'll try to ignore them. They've become tiresome anyway.

[Willie A.]

The common denominator, or actually the only denominator, in Elizabeth's post is Adkins. Just like a lib to project his personal shortcomings and failings onto someone else.

[Ignore Adkins]

As usual, Elizabeth is correct.

The problem is Bill Adkins. Rather than address the subject of an article, he uses every subject to promote his blind hatred of Damon Thayer, Gov. Fletcher, Pres. Bush, or Republicans in general. He consistently attacks people rather than ideas. He poisons every dialogue with his personal attacks. As long as he does that, people will respond to set the record straight.

For the self-promoting Adkins to act like the victim is ludicrous beyond words. Any reasonable person of any political persuasion would do well to ignore anything he says.

[A Sane Franklin County Republican]

The commenter that said Adkins wants to be a player and is not was dead on.

In 2002, Adkins put feelers out to run for Attorney General . . . but did not. In 2003, he put feelers out to run for State Senate, but did not. In 2007, he actively went to some Democrats in the district and said he wanted to run for State Senate. He was strongly discouraged and was even told by some VERY partisan Democrats that they would support Thayer over him.

Rather than a man without a country, he's a "politician" that can't find an office to run for.

[Notahorsewhipper]

To the poster who wrote: "I'm not a resident of Kentucky and know nothing about the local politics, but I find it very disturbing that Ms. Whifield was kicked off the commission. I have been skeptical about the committment of Kentucky's governor to the well being of the racehorses in his state ever since that pissin' little speech he gave in the winners circle at the Kentucky Derby.
He made no reference whatsoever to the Eight Belles targedy that was playing out in front of millions of viewers as even he spoke." by TvNB Posted by: tvnewsbadge | July 04, 2008 at 02:24 PM

Well, Ms. TvNB - first of all, even the trainer wasn't aware of what was occurring, and if you don't know anything about politics or Kentucky, or horses, then it's obvious you can't understand anything about what is occurring.

Ms. Whitfield stalled the equine drug initiatives and tabled the Model Rule adoption at the last KY Equine Drug Council meeting. She used her position notoriously to promote her husband's agenda in Washington, D.C.

Damon Thayer should also quit crying... all of a sudden he cries 'foul' when he's been part of the problem lately. Wasn't it just a few short weeks ago that Thayer (an "horse industry insider and consultant") was feuding with Mrs. Whitfield?

[Bill Adkins]

You claim to be sane? You're smoking something then. 99% of what you've posted is made up of whole cloth, but then, you meet my expectations.

You say, "In 2002, Adkins put feelers out to run for Attorney General . . . but did not." That's not true, no basis in fact at all.

"In 2003, he put feelers out to run for State Senate, but did not." Totally untrue, again, no basis in fact at all.

"In 2007, he actively went to some Democrats in the district and said he wanted to run for State Senate." That's true ... but the remainder of your post is garbage. What I miss here, and what most will miss, is your point. But then, you don't have one.

[not an adkins fan]

I think the point Bill Adkins is that you are a washed up political hack that even your own party will not own up to knowing.

I do not know of your skills as a litigator but if your posts are any indicator, well you be the judge.

[Bill Adkins]

Really? This thread became about me, to me and you've lost. That you're not a fan I take as a compliment and indication of my good character. After all, you're too gutless to sign your names to your posts.

[Get a clue]

And you are too self-absorbed to not sign yours.

(Here is a tip: Look up the word "discretion" and "valor"...things you obviously did not learn in law school.)

Your juvenile comments about Sen. Thayer started this, kinda like they always do. Get a clue. Better yet, just put a clamp on it.