Loose horse nearly slams into I'll Have Another

In this image provided by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I?ll Have Another, ridden by exercise rider Jonny Garcia, gallops at Belmont Park, Thursday, May 31, 2012 in Elmont, N.Y. Trainer Doug O'Neill says a loose horse nearly slammed into the Triple Crown hopeful I'll during training Thursday at Belmont Park.(AP Photo/NYRA)

In this image provided by the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I?ll Have Another, ridden by exercise rider Jonny Garcia, gallops at Belmont Park, Thursday, May 31, 2012 in Elmont, N.Y. Trainer Doug O'Neill says a loose horse nearly slammed into the Triple Crown hopeful I'll during training Thursday at Belmont Park.(AP Photo/NYRA)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Triple Crown bid of I'll Have Another almost ended Thursday when a loose horse came within inches of slamming into the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner during training at Belmont Park.

A collision was avoided, but not before the speeding horse grazed the boot of I'll Have Another's exercise rider Jonny Garcia.

"I've seen accidents like that happen, and they are ugly," trainer Doug O'Neill said.

Hours after the near miss at Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association announced there would be a 15-minute training window for Belmont runners only, beginning Friday morning. Trainers have the option of working their Belmont contenders from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., or during regular training at earlier or later times.

O'Neill and his brother, Dennis, were terrified by what was unfolding 10 days before I'll Have Another attempts to become the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years, since Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1978.

After I'll Have Another began walking on the track, a horse had dumped its rider and came "screaming up the outside rail" in the same direction along the clubhouse turn, Doug O'Neill said.

I'll Have Another was walking a few feet from the rail, with stable pony, Lava Man, on the inside. O'Neill said the horse, later identified as the 3-year-old maiden filly Isleta, ran between the rail and I'll Have Another

"Normally they walk the outside rail, but the racing gods must have been looking out for him because he was about two feet off the rail this morning," O'Neill said.

"It could have been terrible," said Dennis O'Neill, Doug's brother who bought I'll Have Another for $35,000 for owner Paul Reddam.

An hour after the near-miss, Doug O'Neill said his "stomach is still a little twisted by it. Fortunately, everything worked out fine."

I'll Have Another was never touched, and then proceeded on with his morning mile gallop before returning to his soon to be former stable a few yards from the main track.

"Once we dodged that, everything went well," O'Neill said. "He jogged great, galloped super. I noticed every day he's cooling out even quicker. He seems like he loves it here, and he's really getting used to the oval and getting used to the footing, and I couldn't be happier with the way he's going."

On Wednesday, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board imposed strict new rules for horses running in the Belmont. They include a stakes barn for all Belmont runners, out-of-competition blood testing and close scrutiny of the horses and humans attending them in the days leading up to the race.

"I have no problem with a detention barn. I wish we could go over there today," O'Neill said, adding he doesn't understand why the barn won't be ready until Wednesday.

"It sounds like it was not a real organized thing, kind of a late decision," he added. "In hindsight, they could have decided that earlier and we could have been settled in."

Instead, he'll have to move from a barn his colt has been at since arriving the day after winning the Preakness on May 19. The new barn is a few hundred yards farther from the track.

"It's an inconvenience for the horse and the staff, but this horse is unbelievable," O'Neill said. "He's the kind of horse can change stalls every day and he'll be just fine. I think we'll be in good shape."

O'Neill said he doesn't believe the new rules are aimed at him despite a record of being fined or suspended 15 times for drug and medication-related violations in the last 14 years. Last week, he was suspended 45 days and fined $15,000 by the California Horse Racing Board for exceeding the limit of total carbon dioxide ? which can enhance a horse's performance and reduce fatigue.

O'Neill and other trainers aren't thrilled with the late rule changes, but he understands racing has come under scrutiny on many fronts.

"Racing has had a lot of black eyes all over the country, especially in New York," he said, referring to the recent move by the state to take control of racing from NYRA, which fired its president and chief counsel after it was revealed the organization had overcharged bettors on commissions.

"They are just trying to prove to the public how awesome these animals are and how well they are taken care of. It's kind of giving people a backstage, all-access pass and that's great for the sport. It just looks like it's something they should of come up with and had figured out a week ago."

Trainer Michael Matz, who will send out Union Rags in the Belmont, says he still plans to ship his colt to Belmont on Wednesday. He, too, wondered about the timing of the sweeping changes.

"Do they make this stuff up as they go along?" he asked Wednesday.

When the horses are moved to the secure stakes barn, they will be required to have a blood test upon arriving at the barn, and it will be reviewed that night at the New York State Racing and Wagering Board's drug lab.

Limited numbers of people associated with a horse will be allowed to be in the stakes barn, including the licensed trainer, assistant trainer, veterinarian, groom, hot walker and owners. Those entering a horse's stall, in contact with a horse or working on the horse will have their entry and exit logged. The stakes barn will have 24-hour security.

Equipment, feed, and hay among other items will be searched and checked. All veterinarians must provide written notice of intended treatment before doing so, and investigators will monitor all treatment and items used.

The day before the Belmont no vets will be allowed to treat horses without first making an appointment with investigators. On race day, treatment will be allowed only in case of emergency or by agreement with the stewards.

The board will "ensure that the race is run in a safe and fair manner," board chairman John Sabini said Wednesday.

___

Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/rosenblattap

Associated Press

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How to Safely Invest in Gold Stocks - Simit Patel | George Jarkesy ...

It?s widely known in the investment community that gold has been one of the best investment opportunities of the first decade in the new millennium. Gold was trading at around $250 per ounce at the turn of the century; 11 years later, it?s over $1500 and even briefly soared past $1,900 in September of 2011. The reason? Gold is a function of sovereign debt and currency instability; we live in a world where nation-states are drowning in debt, and the odds are growing that the only way they can manage to pay off this debt is by expanding the money supply ? i.e. printing money, an event that will most likely have the effect of significantly devaluing the currency. As investors see prices rising due to expansion of the money supply (which continues to?soar to new all-time highs), they naturally grow fearful of watching the value of their savings erode; and thus, they turn to gold, which historically has been the asset to turn to when governments destroy the value of money.

This is crucial to note because it tells us why gold is rallying, and how long it may continue to rally. So long as the sovereign debt crisis remains unresolved and even unacknowledged, the odds favor a continued rally in gold. And given that the nation-states of the world are facing bond coupon payments?in excess of $7.6 trillion in 2012, it seems as though the best may be yet to come for gold. Buying gold bullion is the first step towards investing in this massive wealth transfer out of currencies and into precious metals, although for those with appetite for some risk and looking for an even stronger upside, gold stocks may be of interest.

Of course, the more risky the asset, the more important risk management becomes. Here are three guidelines I use to mitigate risk while preserving opportunity for profit via gold stocks:

1. Focus on royalty stocks.?Royalty stocks can be thought of as similar to the venture capital of the mining industry. These firms focus on raising lots of cash and investing in lots of mines in exchange for a royalty stream of income when the mine goes into production. Royalty stocks have two major advantages: (1) they typically do not have to bear the cost or responsibility of mining, passing that off instead to a joint venture partner and (2) they are able to invest in many mines, and thus offer investors a valuable means of diversification. My two favorite royalty stocks are Franco Nevada (FNV.NYSE) and Eurasian Minerals (EMXX.NYSE).

2. Follow the Rule of 2.?The ?Rule of 2? is simply a strategy that calls for exiting half the position if price doubles. This rule, which is especially important for controlling risk when speculating in tiny stocks that are prone to much greater volatility, helps investors control risk while still allowing investors to hold positions for the duration of long trends. By taking half the position off if price doubles, investors are taking back the original capital they invested, thus allowing them to ?play with the house?s money? ? to borrow jargon used by professional gamblers. Because investors have taking their original capital off the table, they can patiently wait for the trend to fully develop and for the maximum profit opportunity to be revealed.

3. Gold peaks before stocks do.?A careful examination of gold?s bull market in the 1970s reveals that gold peaked BEFORE gold stocks did. I consider it somewhat likely this scenario will repeat this time around in gold?s bull market. From this perspective, the first sign that that the market may be getting ready to peak is if gold makes a strong, parabolic move ? such as doubling within 6 months. So far we have not seen anywhere near this type of price acceleration in gold. When gold starts to fall after a parabolic rise but gold stocks are still rising, it may be time to start cashing out of gold stocks.

4. Take direct registration of your shares.?There are several ways to own stock shares, although the two most common are direct registration and street registration. Street registration is the default option that occurs whenever an order is placed via an online broker and no request to the contrary has been made. Street registration actually puts the shares in the broker?s name, which puts shareholders at risk; if the brokerage firm collapses, the shares will be gone. Direct registration, on the other hand, puts the stock in your name. Our current financial system is fraught with instability, and so I think direct registration is a preferable option for stocks investors plan to hold for the duration of the bull market.

By following these four guidelines, investors can safely participate in what may end up being a bull market that transforms the global monetary system.

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5 Steps to Reducing Workers' Compensation Costs - WA Insurance ...

By Garry Watts, CPCU, CRM

When a company experiences significant increases in workers? compensation costs, it usually triggers internal activities aimed at reducing insurance costs and spending. The key to spending fewer dollars is more than just stopping a few accidents; it is having a sound safety program designed to continuously improve. This is where a safety program that, at a minimum, is compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards can yield significant savings for ?by reducing injuries and illnesses, saving workers? compensation dollars.

Building a Solid OSHA Program

There are five entry-level steps? can take to have a well-rounded safety program that produces a safe work environment, achieves OSHA compliance, reduces accidents and ultimately reduces workers? compensation costs.

1.???? Develop the various programs required by the OSHA standards.
2.???? Integrate those programs into the daily operations.
3.???? Investigate all injuries and illnesses.
4.???? Provide training to develop safety competence in all employees.
5.???? Audit your programs and your work areas on a regular basis to stimulate continuous improvement.

Develop Programs Required by OSHA Standards

Aside from being a requirement for general industry, the OSHA standards provide a good pathway to incident reductions. A good number of accidents stem from poorly developed, trained or implemented OSHA programs: slips or trips may come from poor housekeeping efforts or not keeping walking and working surfaces clear, not using personal protective equipment may result in excessive lacerations, and poor lifting techniques can result in strains.

Many of the OSHA standards require some type of written program be developed and then communicated to employees. Experience shows that companies with thoroughly developed OSHA-compliant programs have fewer accidents, more productive employees and lower workers? compensation costs.

Integrate Programs into Daily Operations

Policies alone won?t get results; the program must move from paper to practice to succeed. Putting a policy into practice requires a strategic plan clearly communicated to key participants, good execution of that plan based on developed competencies, and a culture that inspires and rewards people to do their best.

When developing any business initiative, there must be an emphasis on frontline supervisors and helping them succeed. Every good business person knows that any new program - safety, quality or anything else - lives and dies with the frontline supervisor. If the frontline supervisor knows the program and wants to make it happen, the program succeeds; if not, the program is a source of constant struggle, and an endless drain on resources and energies. Providing supervisors with knowledge and skills through training is critical to the success of any program.?

A solid OSHA program, integrated into the daily operation and led by competent supervisors is just the beginning. Successful safety programs focus on being proactive instead of always reacting to issues. Accident investigations provide an excellent source of information on real or potential issues present in the workplace.

Investigate All Injuries and Illnesses

Workers? compensation is designed to recompense employees for injuries or illnesses that arise from or out of the course of employment. This should not come as a surprise, but increasing claims drive up workers? compensation costs. To reduce those costs, you must simply reduce your accidents. And the ability to reduce accidents is significantly enhanced when those accidents are fully investigated instead of simply being reported.

Accident reports are historical records only citing facts, while accident investigations go deeper to find the root cause and make improvements. Businesses that stop rising workers? compensation costs have an effective accident investigation process that flushes out the root cause of the problem. Unless the root cause is discovered, recommendations for improvement will remain fruitless. Again, training proves beneficial because a supervisor skilled in incident analysis is a better problem solver for all types of production-related issues, not just safety.

All accidents should be investigated to find out what went wrong and why. Some may suggest investigating every accident is a bit over the top and only those that incur significant costs are worthy of scrutiny. But ask yourself this question: If you only investigated serious quality concerns instead of every little deviation, would your quality program still be effective? Companies with solid quality programs investigate and resolve every deviation from quality standards.

Training and Auditing for Continuous Improvement

The final steps focus on training and auditing your program for continuous improvement. Training plays a significant role in safety and in reducing workers? compensation costs. The goal of training is to develop competent people who have the knowledge, skill and understanding to perform assigned job responsibilities. Competence, more than anything else, will improve all aspects of your business and drive down costs. Supervisors must have the knowledge and ability to integrate every safety program into their specific areas of responsibility. Every employee must know what is expected of them when it comes to implementing safe work procedures. Once the programs are developed and implemented, they must be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure they are still relevant and effective.

?

This might require a significant change in how you manage your safety program, but if your workers? compensation rates are high, it may be time to make this leap.

.

?

Posted Wednesday, May 30 2012 9:15 AM
Tags : Workers' Compensation

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Kenya inflation slows to 12.2 pct in May

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30 Photos Of One Day In Your Life [Shooting Challenge]

On any given day, we're all living vastly different lives, often doing the exact same things. For our Memorial Day Shooting Challenge, we had you photograph the day, whatever that day held. More »

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Meet Maxwell Drew Johnson!

In this week's issue, Simpson and Johnson give an exclusive interview, plus share the first photos of their little one, who's inherited her mom's eyes and her dad's calm demeanor.

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