Owner steps up to defend Mullins as a racing good guy I write to you in response to Andrew Beyer's column titled "Not the face horse racing needs" that ran on drf.com April 30. Beyer wrote about Big Brown and Rick Dutrow becoming the face of horse racing. He goes on to speak about steroid use and how it fueled a national outcry about how Thoroughbred racehorses are treated. He opens the next paragraph with "Meet Jeff Mullins. . . ." He goes on to say that Mullins is "taciturn and guarded." It is my understanding that Beyer hasn't attempted to speak with Jeff since Buddy Gil ran in the Kentucky Derby in 2003. I have also been told that Beyer didn't even attend this year's Kentucky Derby. How could he possibly call Jeff taciturn and guarded? Taciturn and guarded? Jeff attended three press conferences last week at Churchill Downs and stayed at each one until all questions from the media were answered. In addition to the press conferences, he met with as many media as his busy training schedule would allow. Let me introduce you to the Jeff Mullins I know. I have known Jeff since 2002. He has been the trainer of my racehorses since 2006, and I have have had approximately 15-20 horses in training with Jeff over the last few years. The care and decisions he has made on behalf of my horses has never fallen short of doing anything but what was in the best interest of their well-being. He has always conducted himself as a true professional and is one of the hardest working people I know. Our horse, I Want Revenge was the morning-line favorite going into this year's Derby. I received a call from Jeff in the early hours of Derby morning telling me I needed to get dressed and get down to the barn immediately. When I arrived Jeff was waiting for me with Dr. Larry Bramlage and Dr. Foster Northrop. Jeff explained to me that when doing a routine check of his horses early that morning he found a little filling in the colt's ankle. He said although the colt jogged sound, he was quite concerned about where it was coming from and asked Dr. Bramlage to X-ray the colt. The X-ray was negative, but the colt was sensitive to flexion (bending). As heart-wrenching of a decision as it was to scratch the horse in the Kentucky Derby, there was no doubt in Jeff's mind this was the only option and the right thing to do. I agreed and have since been told that Jeff's swift action and our decision to scratch the horse from the Derby may have well saved his life. Mr. Beyer, this is the face that horse racing needs. David J. Lanzman - Beverly Hills, Calif.