'"The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings"

Ebook By Glenn Thompson
$9.99 Rating: 5 Stars
Published: Nov. 01, 2011
Category: Non-Fiction » Sports & Outdoor Recreation » Horseback Riding
Category: Non-Fiction » Politics and Current Affairs » Legal systems


Review by: All Star Press on April 03, 2012 5 stars
This is a tough story to swallow for those of us who love the game of Thoroughbred racing. Glenn Thompson is a long time, successful horse trainer who tells it like it is.

Review by: Erin Hurley on March 16, 2012 : 5 stars
Review by, Director of South Jersey Thoroughbred Rescue and Adoption - -
This book is a must read for all. Glenn Thompson should be applauded for his enlightening depiction of illegal drug use and the current state of affairs associated with Thoroughbreds and the racing industry. As the Director of a NJ non-profit organization that re-trains and places Thoroughbreds into new careers post-racing (South Jersey Thoroughbred Rescue and Adoption) I see first-hand what these horses are often forced to endure. I hope that significant changes will ultimately occur and believe that this book is a step in the right direction. I believe that “The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings” has incredible potential for creating the awareness to bring about the changes that are so desperately needed in the Thoroughbred Racing Industry.


Review by: Laura Freeman-Boyer on March 09, 2012 : 5 stars
Glenn's descriptive lay of the backstretch gives an accurate account of the moral threshold some trainers are willing to cross and the management that is willing to turn a blind eye to repeat offenders. His idea of a Universal Racing Law for pre-race exams and medication should not be overlooked by lawmakers who were quick to appease animal rights groups about overuse of the whip in racing. Sadly state jurisdictions want to make up their own rules and enforce them on select targets and not on the trainers who are having a high percentage of breakdowns; a point well made in this book.
Glenn Thompson took a huge risk getting black balled from the racing industry, yet he still proves he can rise above the wrong doing. His love of the sport in it's purest sense and for horses gives him strong creditability as a trainer looking out for the best interest of the horse, jockey, owner and racing fans. Having learned from observation of his horses and being keyed in to their everyday behavior gives him a great edge in soundness issues that a large racing outfit would often ignore. He has rang the bell and let's hope more trainers and owners follow in his steps to make positive changes to racing!

Retired Thoroughbred Horse Trainer, November 27, 2011
By Tommy
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
I enjoyed reading Glenn's book. i liked his sense of humor. He brings to light many issues that have been in the dark for years. For me and Glenn alike its about the welfare of the horses. I got into racing because I love horse. It wasnt about the money. The racing community, the vets and trainers need to come to a resolution that ensures the safety of these magnificent animals and preserves the sport of racing. I applaud him taking the courage to let others knows what happens behind the barn doors. Great book, easy reading, very informative.


Review by Dogwood Stables, December 9, 2011
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
Review by Cot Campbell. He is president of Dogwood Stables who has had seventy six stake winners,six trips to the Kentucky Derby, one Preakness winner, two Eclipse Awards and a Breeders Cup victory.
This is what he had to say about " The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings" "Glenn Thompson writes knowingly--and frustratingly--about some of the demons of medicating racehorses. He has taken the high road, and seems to have paid a price for doing it. A dramatic example is his hypothesis of the talented, but nervous filly, in need of help on race day, and the ramifications of not providing it. I know zero about the accuracy of the details of specific horses and humans with which he deals, but as a member of a vanishing breed of "hay, oats and water" people, I applaud his efforts on behalf of cleaning up the sport."


Applause for Glenn Thompson, February 29, 2012
By Paddy Head (Abbotsford, B.C. Canada)
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
Glenn Thompson, I applaud you. I wish there had been more trainers like you back in the'70's and '80's when I was riding. I will never forget the race I rode at Naragansett Park when 5 horses went down because the lead horse was highly medicated and broke his leg. I quickly learned which trainers ran their horses on drugs and which ones ran them clean. Believe me, the 'hay, water and oats' trainers were few and far between. I'd have a lot more pictures in my win album if there were more trainers like you.
I hope this book makes everyone on the backstretch look into their souls and into their medicine cabinets. Let's make this game worthy of being called the Sport of Kings.


Jockey's Review, March 7, 2012
By jbbjock
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
I believe Mr. Thompson has many valid points, and I have witnessed similar experiences myself. It is extremely difficult to publicly "out" people for poor performance and professional irresponsibility.
In the best of all possible worlds, the information in this book would be used to investigate confusing circumstances and the offending parties would be held accountable. As it is, and as Mr. Thompson has pointed out, people want to keep their jobs in the industry they love. Unfortunately, it is the horses that suffer, and the jockeys which are on top of them in the races.
Kudos to Mr. Thompson for attempting to give the horses a voice.
Janice Blake-Baeza


Trainer Speaks his MInd, March 18, 2012
By Matthew A. Shifman (Metuchen, NJ United States)
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
Glenn Thompson is a trainer of thoroughbred race horses who tells about a side of racing that is seldom talked discussed. His courage and convictions are noteworthy. Thompson is a second generation successful trainer at Monmouth Park. I have spent time with horses at that track and I recognize of what he speaks. If you love horse racing then you should read this book. If I was selecting a trainer for a race horse I would seriously consider Thompson!


This book must be read., March 10, 2012
By Bill Feingold "Bill Feingold"
This review is from: The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings (Kindle Edition)
Mr. Thompson loves horses and wants the right thing done by them. He explains why greed--or sometimes, a trainer's simple survival instinct-- often leads to cheating. While the book would have benefitted from better writing and editing, I couldn't put it down. Mr. Thompson was willing to be blackballed from the game for revealing some dirty secrets of New Jersey racing. While there's clearly bad blood between Mr. Thompson and the NJ racing establishment, he does not strike me as a liar. If his claims are true, heads should roll.

 

Matt Bisogno is the owner of a portfolio of websites, including horse-racing.ie and Geegeez.co.uk. He has written numerous statistical analyses on trainer patterns, and written a weekly feature column for the Irish Field (Ireland’s equivalent to DRF).

Read his review of "The Tradition of Cheating at the Sport of Kings" below'
Cheating in the Sport of Kings' by Glenn Thompson

A short time ago, I was approached by a US trainer with a story to tell. His name is Glenn Thompson and he trains horses mostly out of Monmouth Park, New Jersey, on the East Coast.

But Thompson has a mission. He wants to publicise the use of ‘raceday medication’ at Monmouth and lots of other US racetracks. For those who don’t know, administering raceday medication helps horses to relax before a race. It is also illegal in most states, including New Jersey where Thompson trains.
That doesn’t stop a majority of trainers allowing their vets to perpetuate the practice, sometimes with dangerous consequences both for horse and rider.
‘Cheating in the Sport of Kings’ looks further than that into the problems at Thompson’s home track, including a contentious point about whether George Washington, the great ‘Gorgeous George’ of Ballydoyle fame, should have been allowed to run in the Monmouth Park Breeders Cup Classic in which he broke his front right leg.

The decision to allow him to run and the horrible accident that led to his death may have been directly unrelated, but there is no question that if the local rules were adhered to, the horse would have been scratched and we would be watching his progeny race today.

Thompson comes across as an engaging man: thick-skinned enough to take on the local authorities and not afraid to take some flack for his troubles. He cites his religion for helping him choose the right path, and I respect him for that, despite not being religious myself.

He’s had good times and bad; good horses and bad; and he has a vision for all US racing to ban raceday medication.

The book is concise and can be read in an hour or two, and it raises some important points about the frequent and flagrant drug culture in US racing. This is a subject that we Europeans – Irish, British or Continental – should not imagine is only an issue across the big pond. You can be sure there’s plenty of drug misuse happening in stables across the EU.

My personal view is that there is definitely fire to accompany the ‘smoke’ of these pages, but the book could use more clinical support in terms of veterinarian samples and such like. I’m not disputing the points being made, but I think as it stands it is too easy for others who ought to be made accountable, to dispute those claims.

This is an interesting read as it opens the mind to the realities of what may well be happening up and down our countries, and it also brings it home with the all too familiar case of ‘Gorgeous George’.

************
Reviews from the Smashmouth Site:
Review by: Michael Greenblatt on Nov. 07, 2011 :
Terrific Book Glenn! Very Interesting & Informative as well.
"GOOD LUCK" Always, Michael "GREENY"
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Karen Spickofsky on Nov. 06, 2011 : 5 Stars
Thanks to Glenn for writing this book. He had the courage to reveal what is happening to Thoroughbred race horses which I hope can help change and improve their conditions. Let the horses race and win honestly;not jeopardize their safety and that of others involved including the jockeys, grooms and other horses.
Humans have a choice, animals do not!
Anyone who loves horses should read this book and be enlightened to what is going on behind the scenes in the horse racing industry.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: David Lengel on Nov. 14, 2011 : (no rating)
Great book Glenn! Took a lot of courage to write and having owned thoroughbreds for 22 years now I know you are just touching the tip of the ice berg. I know you wrote this because you really do love the sport and the stars of the show, the horses. The shame of the whole situation is that the industry is it's own worst enemy. As you point out, so many of our sport's problems are fixable, but management absolutely refuses to do so. Hopefully, some within the industry who have the power to change things and get this ship back on the right path will do so before it's too late. It really should be the greatest sport on earth but the reality is that due to all the flat out crap that goes on behind the scenes....it's not!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)