Interview with Edward Bonnie, August 4, 2008

Partial Transcript: Okay, this is Kim Ladysmith, tsk and today is August fourth, two thousand and eight.

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie introduces this section by discussing the evaluation of the evidence for the Dancer's Image case. The case itself came about after the Derby where witnesses claimed that the horse had been drugged and hence had won the race unfairly.

Keywords: Cases; Chemists; Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Evidence; Experts; Samples

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horses; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: So who were the personalities involved with the racing commission at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie discusses the people from the racing commission who were involved in the Dancer's Image case.

Keywords: Cases; Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; George Egger; Stanley Lambert

Subjects: Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horses; Kentucky State Racing Commission; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: I think I, in our last meeting, I told you about my hypothesis.

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie gives his opinions on the Dancer's Image case, where the judge went wrong, and the strength of the evidence.

Keywords: Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Evidence; Incompetent; Samples

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: Now I haven't gone back and looked through the bloodhorse fouls but did he publicly criticize the decision?

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie says that one of the reasons why doping occurs is because of gambling. Bonnie discusses how gambling and doping were connected with the Dancer's Image case.

Keywords: Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Gamblers

Subjects: Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Gambling; Gambling--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Harthill, Alex, 1925-2005; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horses

Partial Transcript: Uh one person I was curious what his opinion was in all this was Warner Jones.

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie talks about Warner Jones, his role in the Dancer's Image case, and what stakes Jones had in the case.

Keywords: Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Warner Jones

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Harthill, Alex, 1925-2005; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horses

Partial Transcript: -process. Why did it take two years to get to Judge Megs?

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie talks about honesty in the court system, how it was lacking during the Dancer's Image trial, and what some of the effects were for that case because of the dishonesty in the court system.

Keywords: Calls; Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Hearings; Negligent

Subjects: Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horse industry--Law and legislation--United States; Horses; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: Has has that decreased over the years though?

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie talks about some of the advances in the judicial system that have been made due to the case he worked on with Dancer's Image. All around, the method for proving and disproving doping in horse races has improved drastically.

Keywords: Chemists; Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Processes

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Kentucky State Racing Commission; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: You know, that's history.

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie and Smith discuss the possibility of proving conclusively that Dancer's Image was not drugged during the Derby. One individual that Bonnie talked to while the case was still going on claims it is possible, but Bonnie dismisses this theory.

Keywords: Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Evidence; Labratories

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville; Politics and government

Partial Transcript: The other thing was uhm the issue of security, now nothing in our conversation makes has led me to believe that you think someone....

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie describes the security at Churchill Downs and how difficult it would have been to drug a horse before the Derby race.

Keywords: Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; Tested; Testing

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville

Partial Transcript: You know when we uhm we've talked a lot about Alex Hardhill.

Segment Synopsis: Bonnie talks about Alex Harthill, a renowned equine vet. He also describes the different types of doping that race horses are given and the different effects they have on horses.

Keywords: Cocaine; Drugging; Drugs; Tranquilizers

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Gambling; Harthill, Alex, 1925-2005; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Horses; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville; Veterinarians--Kentucky; Veterinary medicine

Partial Transcript: And you mentioned another vet, Arnold Pressin?

Segment Synopsis: In this final segment, Bonnie first discusses the difficulties he had working on the Dancer's Image case with a vet by the name of Arnold Pessin. He then concludes the interview by talking about the corruption that exists in the horse industry as a whole.

Keywords: Arnold Pessin; Corruption; Dancer's Image (Race horse); Drugging; Drugs; People; Sons

Subjects: Churchill Downs Incorporated; Derby (Horse race); Doping in horse racing; Horse industry--Law and legislation--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky; Lawyers--Kentucky--Louisville; Veterinarians; Veterinarians--Kentucky