Prominent race horse trainer is barred from competing in New York and several other states after naming horse Grape Soda to torment black commentator
A prominent New York race horse trainer has been banned from competing in the state and elsewhere in the country after he changed the name of one of his horses to a racial slur to taunt a black commentator.
Trainer Eric Guillot can no longer enter race horses or have stalls on the New York Racing Association's (NYRA) circuit after entering a horse named Grape Soda in a race at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens on Friday, officials have confirmed.
The horse, which took first place, had reportedly been named to torment Ken Rudulph, who is an analyst for TVG and is black. Grape soda is considered a racial slur and derogatory trope as the drink is often stereotypically associated with black people.
‘Racism is completely unacceptable in all forms,’ David O’Rourke, president and chief executive of the NYRA, said in a statement. ‘NYRA rejects Eric Guillot’s toxic words and divisive behavior in the strongest terms.
He added, ‘Our racing community is diverse, and we stand for inclusion.’
The Stronach Group, which owns racetracks in Maryland, Florida and California, also said over the weekend that it would no longer be allowing horses trained by Guillot to race at its tracks.
The controversy stemmed from a New Year's Day post, in which Guillot wrote that he had named a horse in honor of a TVG analyst, which was accompanied by a black fist emoji
Responding to a message from a follower asking him to confirm the colt’s name, Guillot wrote: ‘GRAPE SODA’
The fallout stems from a tweet Guillot posted on New Year’s Day, in which he wrote that he was giving a three-year-old colt a ‘unique name in honor of a TVG analyst’. He ended the post with a black fist emoji.
Responding to a message from a follower asking him to confirm the colt’s name, Guillot wrote: ‘GRAPE SODA’.
The next day, Guillot tweeted again about the horse, characterizing its workout as a ‘menthol Kool’, a post this time accompanied with a black thumbs-up emoji. For decades, menthol cigarettes were targeted towards primarily black consumers in the US.
The horse had originally been named Kirksetter, but it was changed to the offensive term on December 29, according to records obtained by the Times.
Guillot and Rudulph - the only black analyst at TVG - were reportedly embroiled in a feud, though it’s currently unclear on what the source of trainer’s apparent ire is.
After the horse won his debut race at Aqueduct on Friday, social media came alive with criticism of Guillot and the slur.
In the days since, Guillot has offered a series of contradictory statements regarding the origins of the horse’s name.
On Twitter he said the name Grape Soda had actually been chosen for his love of the drink as a child.
However, in an interview with the Paulick report, he later said: ‘I did nothing wrong but be a common comedian, and my skin’s a little too light to be joking about grape sodas, that’s all.
‘If Chris Rock or David Chappelle had said it, it would be OK,’ he bizarrely added.
The horse, which took first place, had reportedly been named to torment Ken Rudulph (right), who is an analyst for TVG and is black. Grape soda is considered a racial slur as the drink is often stereotypically associated with black people
The horse took first place in its debut race at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens on Friday
A post to Guillot's Twitter page on Sunday appeared to reference the dispute, showing him reaching for a bottle of grape soda, with the caption, 'Oh no I DIDN't'
Guillot also attempted to claim he was ‘just teasing’ and didn’t mean to cause Rudulph any harm.
However, any such sentiments were immediately contradicted when he continued: ‘[Rudulph] plays the 180-degree Black Lives Matter racist card and is as condescending as you get.
‘It has nothing to do with me being racist. This is what he wanted; I just fueled the fire is what I did.’
Despite his insistence that he has done ‘nothing wrong’, Guillot posted a message to Twitter Saturday that appeared to imply he has not retired.
Rudulph, meanwhile, said the entire episode is emblematic of the wider issue of systemic racism that’s embedded deeply in horse racing.
‘The winner in race #1 from Aqueduct is the perfect example of my issue with horse racing. The winning trainer is a disgusting and racist man,’ he blasted Friday.
After Guillot was banned from the NYRA, Rudulph wrote: ‘I am not a victim so you can miss me with that performative sympathy bulls*** that you all are sending me.
‘What happened Saturday in New York is not about a horse with a name. It’s about a culture that has been cultivated and covered up in this industry since day number one.’
The controversially named horse was sold after the race for $25,000 and renamed Respect for All
The controversially named horse was sold after the race for $25,000 and renamed Respect for All.
Lawrence Roman, who made the purchase, told the New York Times he had had no idea the name was a slur until the Jockey Club contacted him on Saturday morning and asked him to change it.
In addition to renaming the horse Respect for All, he is also pledging 10 percent of the horse’s purse earnings to a fund to help New York’s backstretch workers.
‘I wanted to make a positive out of a negative situation,’ Roman told the outlet. ‘This is a great sport that I have really enjoyed, and the people on the backstretch are from all over and they love and take care of these athletes. We don’t want racism in this sport.’
Prior to his apparent retirement, Guillot won 295 races during his career and his horses earned combined winnings in excess of $13 million.
