L’Affaire Mullins, Cont.
Trainer Jeff Mullins “expressed regret” today that his comments to LA Times columnist T.J. Simers last weekend offended anyone. “The conditioner said he lost his temper at Simers when they had a heated discussion outside the Mullins barn early Saturday.” Simers quoted Mullins as saying, “If you bet on horses, I would call you an idiot,” and, “I train to win and that’s all I care about. It’s not my problem [if the general public is deceived]. They ought to bring in slot machines, then we could run our horses and make a living without worrying about some crybaby calling the stewards and raising a fit.” Mullins says that Simers took these statements out of context and that they weren’t intended for publication, although he did admit that Simers asked if he could print his remarks. (Blood-Horse)
Mullins’ apology might not be enough to soothe some bettors: “I don’t want a single dollar of my mutuel handle ever going into the pocket of someone so unappreciative of my investment and blatantly denying responsibility for his actions,” writes Jeremy Plonk. “That leaves me — as a consumer — with some difficult decisions to make. Why should I bet on the tracks where Mullins’ horses compete?” (ESPN)
Related: NTRA Commissioner D.G. Van Clief called Mullins’ comments “inexcusable” this afternoon. “Anybody realizes that horse racing depends on the bettor for its livelihood … As an industry, we do not overlook and we won’t forget our No. 1 asset, which is our customer. They are valued and appreciated and we probably can’t say that enough.” (SportsLine)
Bill Handleman wishes that Van Clief’s sentiments were the message he heard from the racing industry. Instead, “What Mullins said about people who bet on horses, you hear this whispered on the racetrack every day. By certain deep thinkers on the backside … by lowly officials who could be replaced by monkeys, no one would know the difference … even by some executives, who see the horseplayer as some lower form of life that is hopelessly addicted to the game … Maybe that’s why players have been treated so shabbily over the years, because these executives feel they will come back no matter how you treat them. In unguarded moments, I have actually heard high-level decision-makers say this, without batting an eye.” (Asbury Park Press) [Many thanks to Chris Tatti for the link.]
