Why did it have to be us?
The immediate reaction to the news that a gelding (a male horse without his testicles) had won an all-filly race at the track in Austintown was this: Why us?
With apologies to Humphrey Bogart in the movie “Casablanca” … Of all the horse racing courses in all the world, Leathers Slappin’ had to run in the ninth at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
And in so doing, he turned what should have been an enjoyable day at the races into a target of a formal investigation by the Ohio State Racing Commission.
“What happened is very serious, and it should not have happened,” commission Director Bill Crawford told The Vindicator.
In the five years he has been at the helm, Crawford has never had to deal with the wrong horse winning a race.
So, what happened?
Although the investigation is still ongoing, here are some of the details: In the all-female field in the ninth race on Wednesday, Nov. 4, there was to have been a horse by the name of Ruby Queen.
However, the individual who was responsible for confirming the identities of the horses in the race by checking the markings, sex and tattoo of the entrants somehow approved Leathers Slappin’ instead of Ruby Queen.
But how was it that no one, not even the experienced punters, realized that there was a male among all the females at the starting gate? The simple answer is that Leathers Slappin’ as a gelding is castrated and, in everyday parlance, doesn’t have family jewels on display.
LONG ODDS
The other reason no one seemed to be overly concerned about Slappin’ is that the odds against him were so high that he was largely ignored.
But Leathers Slappin’ crossed the finish line first, and that’s when all hell broke loose. The winner was taken to the veterinarian for testing and a review of the markings and tattoo. The vet then realized that it wasn’t a female, Ruby Queen, who had won the race.
The story spread like wildfire, with speculation running rampant about what occurred.
In addition to the Ohio State Racing Commission conducting the official investigation, Penn National Gaming, which owns Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown, also launched its own probe.
It may well be that an honest mistake, inexperience or sheer incompetence led to a male horse running in an all-female race.
But, the fact that it happened in the Mahoning Valley certainly inspired conspiracy theories. After all, this region’s reputation as a mecca for gambling and a training ground for cheats is well documented.
Indeed, the long, unchecked existence of the Mafia, whose main source of income was illegal gaming, made the Valley a hot spot for gamblers from around the country. There was a time in the region’s storied history of corruption that you could bet on just about anything. And cheating became a creative endeavor.
The stories are legendary. Old-timers still talk about how bingo games were fixed by organizers filling bingo balls with goop using a syringe so they would not be drawn.
It’s fortunate, therefore, that mobsters are all but gone from the Valley, because they would have been immediate suspects in the horse-racing controversy.
Yes, the Valley’s reputation for all forms of corruption has made the region the subject of national press coverage.
When the Ohio State Racing Commission issues its report of how Ruby Queen evolved into Leathers Slappin’, horse-racing writers from around the country will undoubtedly grab onto the story.
The only saving grace is that a male horse without his man parts tends to be rather shy compared with his stallion brethren, so Slappin’ won’t be boasting about his victory.
(A brief interview with the “winner” in the ninth can be found below).
But as racing commission Director Crawford put it, “The big thing is getting behind what happened. I am obligated to look at everything.”
There’s no argument that thoroughbred horse-racing in Austintown has given the Valley a much needed shot in the arm. Therefore, the sooner the investigation is concluded, the better for Penn National and fans of horse racing.
The Interview
Writer: Thanks for agreeing to talk to me.
Leathers Slappin’: Hay, no problem. Grab a bale and take a load off.
Writer (sitting on a bale of hay): Speaking of taking a load off ...
Slappin’: Not wasting any time joking about my castration, are you? I had no say in the matter. One minute I’m a man’s man, full of vim and vinegar; the next I’m prancing around like Caitlyn Jenner.
Writer: Sorry for your, umm, loss. Is that why you showed no mercy in the all-filly race and left them in your dust?
Slappin’: No, I was angry because a couple of them were making fun of me at the starting gate, saying I have no (expletive) and calling me a sad sack.
Writer: Well, you showed them, and now you’re in the middle of a major investigation. How does that make you feel?
Slappin’: Do you have a tissue?