Paulick honored with Stan Bergstein Award

Paulick's persistent coverage of the case involving Tampa Bay trainer Jane

Cibelli culminated in a story titled "Fla. Investigation: Vet Said Cibelli Told

Him 'Keep Me Out of It'" that included testimony from a veterinarian who was

caught injecting a pain-blocking agent into the leg of a horse hours before it

was supposed to race.

Less than a week after the story was published, Florida's state racing body

acted after a seven-month investigation, suspending Cibelli for 60 days. Tampa

Bay Downs responded with an announcement that Cibelli, one of the track's

perennial leading trainers, would not be granted stalls or allowed to enter

horses in the 2013-14 meet.

Kerrison praised Paulick for shining "a bright light on four dark corners --

the trainer's larceny, the vet's illegal actions, the track's clear reluctance

to move against Cibelli (but not the vet) and the regulatory body's unbelievable

inertia in investigating the offense and imposing sanctions.

"Paulick forced their hands, but the case vividly illustrates the industry's

incomprehensible reluctance to prosecute and punish wrong-doers."

"I am very happy to see Ray Paulick get this honor," Irwin said. "?We created

the award to praise, encourage, incentivize and celebrate turf writers. We felt

encouragement was sorely needed because of the sorry state of the turf writing

profession. The current state of racing journalism is best characterized by a

shrinking to the downright disappearance of copy inches.

"Almost extinct is the full time turf writer for a daily newspaper. Magazines

everywhere are contracting or folding. Any fan that reads the sports section

knows there are problems with cheating and drugs. Ray is one of the few out

there on a daily basis who is doing the tough work of investigating racing's

issues."

Team Valor had already tapped Paulick as the keynote speaker for the award

presentation over the summer. Before learning of the award result, he spoke

today about the impact, inside and outside of horse racing, of investigative

reporting, including the New York Times series that won the inaugural

Stan Bergstein Writing Award last year.

"I don't think I can emphasize this enough: the reason for this reporting is

to change the culture when it needs change," Paulick said. "Those of us who do

this aren't trying to make friends in the industry. We are trying to make

change."

Stories published between November 2, 2012 and November 1, 2013 in North

America and about horse racing were eligible for the award.

Paulick's piece can be found

here.

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