Only once has a Kentucky Derby winner been disqualified for a medication violation. Arthur said the TOC was behind the effort to oust him because of his criticism of Lasix. Baffert was granted a stay until April 4 to gain time for an appeal. Similarly, cases against two horses who tested positive in Arkansas in 2020 for lidocaine were dismissed as being the result of accidental transfer from an assistant trainer who was using the medication on himself. Theres a recognition that certain substances are normal in equine care, Martin said, but if that horse still requires that, then maybe you shouldnt run the horse., Martin made a distinction between doping horses with banned substances and running them with too much medication. Baffert went to federal court and had the suspension overturned, but NYRA has called a scheduling conference on the trainer for Oct. 11. Officials worked secretly to clear Bob Bafferts Justify amid 2018 Triple Crown run, records show. The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Trainer in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2015, Baffert has won 18 Breeders' Cup races, including four editions of the Classic with . When Arthur delivered his report in November 2013, the bill to remove him from office was still pending. It seems the biggest problem trainer Bob Baffert had during the running of the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes on Saturday was keeping his face covering over his nose. Baffert was recently suspended for 90 days by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, California Horse Racing Board, and the New York State Gaming Commission for drug violations in the 2021 Kentucky . "What a way to come back," said Baffert, whose punishment by the Kentucky Horse . followed up and ruled Baffert would not be allowed to run in New York. The consolation is knowing the truth will come out as the process plays out. No horse loving person like Bob or his entire team accepts the reality of a horse death with anything other than sadness and despair, the lawyers said in their statement. At least 74 horses have died in Bafferts care in his home state of California since 2000, more than all but two of hundreds of trainers in the state, according to a Post analysis of data and public records. He's a cheat and an asshole, and I hope Medina Spirit gets taken down and his connections are denied the $1.8 million first-place check. Arthur is retiring at the end of June from a job often consumed by the scandals of a single trainer. Great Read: Bob Baffert has come a long way in horse racing, Santa Anita opens Friday as prelude to Breeders Cup at Del Mar, Surging Crespi receives another strong performance from sophomore Diego Velazquez, High school baseball and softball: Fridays scores, With Marcus Morris sidelined, Clippers look to stabilize lineup and rotations, With their playoff lives at stake, Darvin Ham challenges Lakers effort and urgency. "[10], However, over 30 horses Baffert trained have failed drug tests. A A Former President Donald Trump released a statement Sunday about the disputed winner of the Kentucky Derby, saying the controversy reflects the current state of the country. The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc . The board agreed not to disqualify Justify. The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc. in federal court to end his suspension. It hurts racing., In the same speech, Baffert agitated for the continued use of Lasix, which is popular with trainers but increasingly criticized as a potential performance-enhancer and masking agent for other drugs. But in 2018, Arthur was still on the job when another Baffert-trained horse tested regulators willingness to challenge him. Ive heard the rumors on Bobby since we got in the business after winning some Cal Cup races. In the case of Bafferts recent horse deaths, the records list a typical blend of drugs that have been allowed under certain thresholds, most frequently the anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone (or bute to horsemen) and furosemide (also known as Lasix), which is said to decrease bleeding from a horses lungs. He's saddled. The trainer was fined $2,500. Baedeker and Arthur said in interviews that no matter how it was handled it would have been impossible to resolve the case that quickly. Both trainers were fined $500. The quest to find Jimson weed continued. On June 9, Justify won the Belmont and the Triple Crown. By Marty Irby. "Bobby" Adair. Theres 10,000 other trainers who understand the absolute insurer rule and dont seem to run afoul of it, Gagliano said, referring to the edict that any substances in the horse are the trainers responsibility. Bob Baffert has taken up more of my time than I ever should have had to deal with, Arthur said, before again coming to the defense of Bafferts treatment of his horses: He certainly puts the pedal to the metal, but he doesnt close his eyes. A recent conversation about the tragedy of horse deaths wended its way back to the defense of his reputation. This America's different." pic . In 1977, as a part-time trainer, he was suspended for a year when one of his horses tested positive for morphine. Bafferts lawyers have made explicit that he will accept fines but not a suspension, and state regulators have continually obliged him. Its more the friendship that I miss. It went exactly according to the lawyers plan. Four months later, during a confidential executive session, Arthur and CHRB Director Rick Baedeker recommended that the commissioners not move forward with the disqualification of Justify, arguing that the scopolamine positive was probably the result of contamination from jimson weed. Hes a very unique personality, a unique sense of humor. Fellow trainer D. Wayne Lukas attributed Baffert's success to his "extraordinary eye for a good horse" and his management ability in finding the right opportunities for his charges.[5]. [18] Baffert responded by saying the situation "was like a cancel culture kind of a thing," a remark which earned him noticeable criticism from the press. He has not been in alliance with us, said Hancock, mentioning Bafferts many positive tests and then listing top trainers who have had one or zero positives in their career. A week after that, Baffert learned of the positive test. I told him I thought there was a good indication that these were feed contamination.. He will rub people the wrong way by speaking his mind, sometimes he needs to hit the mute button. It was later discovered that horses from separate barns had also tested positive. Arthur and CHRB investigators inspected Bafferts barn, reviewed veterinary records and interviewed Baffert, who was flanked by an attorney. You could trust him and that never changed.. (Arthur and those involved with the bill said the actions were unrelated. In an email Monday, Bafferts attorney, W. Craig Robertson III, referred to the CHRBs initial decision to dismiss the test and a hearing last year in which officials ruled they had no authority to overturn that decision. Other trainers seem to navigate just fine.. Arthur suggested the board retroactively apply it to the Justify case. [38] This reminded the public that since 2000, at least 74 other horses had died while in Baffert's stables. On July 15, 2020, Deputy Attorney General Robert Petersen sent his initial case assessment to Brodnik. Hollywood Park closed in 2013, and the saga of the dead horses there faded quickly from the headlines. In fact, at some point Id like to get back together with Bob, Shah said. Until this summer, Baffert was the longest-serving member on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, having been elected in 2007. Board member Michael E. Pegram had for decades hired Baffert to train his top horses, including the winner of the 1998 Kentucky Derby, Real Quiet. Bob survived a heart attack in late March 2012 while in Dubai for a world-class race at Meydan. He also won the race in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 when run as a Grade I event. Two months later, the PAC contributed $2,000 to Grays successful election committee. In New York, chefs are redefining it. He still has a responsibility as the face of the game but I dont think hell overcome [this] because his personality wont allow him to do it.. This article was published more than1 year ago. When asked about that plan, attorney Brewster said that in fact 5 Stones did investigate Baffert at the direction of the Jockey Club. It subsequently said any horses running for a suspended trainer (Baffert) would not be eligible for Kentucky Derby or Oaks qualifying points. In his claustrophobic and cluttered office at Santa Anita Barn 5, Bob Baffert, the hall of fame trainer, was pushing papers and moving stacks, hunting for a faded photo of his 17-year-old self aboard a long-forgotten quarter horse from a small racing circuit in Arizona. But he said it wasnt clear from the records why the CHRB reversed course on filing a complaint against Baffert. Like Baffert, Hollendorfer is in the thoroughbred Hall of Fame. Baffert is a three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, and has several top prospects for the May 5 race. After Arthur cleared Baffert of wrongdoing, the legislation was abandoned. [10] Though number of racing starts are used to calculate rates of death for all horses in the care of race trainers, not all horse deaths were animals in race training nor were they necessarily race-related fatalities. [15], At a news conference on May 9, Baffert initially said that Medina Spirit was never administered betamethasone. Nonetheless, in that case, Arkansas suspended Baffert for 15 days. But Baffert and his lawyers had since established a reputation for pugnaciousness when regulators attempted to discipline him. His last day as medical equine director is Wednesday. Garcia left California horse racing the next year, according to CHRB records; he could not be reached for comment by The Post. The previous August, Bob Baffert Racing Stables had donated $1,000 to the TOCs political action committee, California records show. The owners ultimately abandoned the plan after Bafferts horse, American Pharoah, won the Triple Crown that year, fearing their effort could damage the sport, one of those people said. In 2015, Baffert trained the 2014 champion two-year-old colt American Pharoah to win the Triple Crown, the first to do so in 37 years. But that number may drop to six if the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission disqualifies this years winner, Medina Spirit, for a medication violation, the trainers fifth since May 2020. . The ARCI rules are recommendations, the associations president, Ed Martin, said in an interview. And in the 13 months following his essay in The Post, Bafferts horses tested positive for prohibited or excessive substances five times in three states. There have been so many false narratives that have come up and the hearing process isnt even done yet. In each instance, the death is investigated. [42] He had been paid $200,000 to allow the Burger King to stand behind him in the grandstand during the televised broadcast of the Belmont, after having turned down $150,000 to allow the mascot to appear with him at the Preakness. Political Cartoons. Justify faced disqualification from his victory in the Santa Anita Derby that would cost his owners a partnership of wealthy interests their share of the $600,000 first-place purse. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has successfully appealed his 15-day suspension to the Arkansas Racing Commission, allowing the six-time Kentucky Derby winner to resume preparations to run Medina . Gagliano, the Jockey Club president, denied that the group had any knowledge of whom 5 Stones investigated, outside of the eventual indictments. Last October Gamine was disqualified from third to last in the Kentucky Oaks after betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory, was discovered in the horses system. [45], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 14:09, American Pharoah Stakes / FrontRunner Stakes / Norfolk Stakes, Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes / Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap, Los Alamitos Futurity / Hollywood Futurity, Starlet Stakes / Hollywood Starlet Stakes, United States Champion Trainer by earnings, American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse, American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse, "Bob Baffert Has Come a Long Way in Horse Racing", "Baffert nears $300M mark with an all-star stable", "American Pharoah claims first Triple Crown since 1978", "Bob Baffert no stranger to failed drug tests by his horses", "Press Release Racing Museum April 20, 2009", "The last stand of Bob Baffert, horse racing's most successful and embattled trainer", "Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby win in doubt after postrace drug test", "Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Withdrawal Guidelines Thoroughbred; Standardbred; Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, and Arabian", "Baffert: Meds applied to Derby winner had steroid", "Medina Spirit Tests Positive for Betamethasone", "Baffert says Derby winner Medina Spirit tested positive", "Churchill Downs' Statement in Response to Medina Spirit's Post-Race Test Result Allegations", "Trainer: Kentucky Derby winner faces disqualification due to 'cancel culture', "Bob Baffert asserts Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby win was valid, invokes 'cancel culture', "Bob Baffert says Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit was treated with ointment that contained steroid", "Baffert Has Turned Medina Spirit Controversy Into a Circus", "Baffert's Leaking Credibility Reaches Saturation Point", "Churchill Downs Inc. suspends Baffert for 2 years", "Trainer Bob Baffert suspended from entering Medina Spirit, other horses at Belmont Park", "New York Racing Officials Suspend Baffert From Belmont Stakes", "Trainer Bob Baffert sues to get New York suspension lifted", "Horse trainer Bob Baffert sues New York racing officials over suspension", "Baffert sues to overturn New York racing ban", "Judge nullifies horse trainer Bob Baffert's NY suspension", "Baffert charged by New York Racing, scheduled for hearing", "Legendary horse trainer charged again following Kentucky Derby scandal", "NYRA Amends Charges Against Baffert to Include Bute Overages", "The Seattle Times | Local news, sports, business, politics, entertainment, travel, restaurants and opinion for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest", "Bob Baffert fined $1,500, Gamine disqualified from third-place finish in Kentucky Oaks", "Here's what we know following Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit's positive drug test", "Medina Spirit Dies of Apparent Heart Attack at Santa Anita", "Baffert Horses Big Part of Sudden Death Spike", "Report on the investigation and review of the seven sudden deaths on the Hollywood Park main track of horses trained by Bob Baffert and stabled in Barn 61", "Cardiac Failure Fatalities Spike in California, Baffert Barn", "Bafferts Make Whopper Of A Donation To Equine Charities", "Bafferts, Espinoza donate Belmont winnings", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Baffert&oldid=1138770123, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 14:09. In correspondence with the agencys lawyer, Baedeker wrote that because our staff failed to act in a timely manner, the horses, trainer, owner and others could be harmed unjustly if they didnt use the more lenient classification. Baffert's history in the American classic races began in 1996 when he trained a three-year-old colt named Cavonnier, who ran second in the Kentucky Derby. On May 5, Justify won the Kentucky Derby, upping the stakes of the investigation. Most were for excessive use of phenylbutazone, a commonly used anti-inflammatory known as bute. The 77-year-old billionaire made headlines last year when he made a $10,000 contribution to opponents of Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance. The CHRB officially opened an investigation. As the trainer battles to protect his legacy, the records offer a new window into how those charged with running horse racings disjointed regulatory system have appeared to treat the powerful trainer with deference. Bob Baffert has moved his way up the ladder to the extent that he has the most influential, the wealthiest owners in the industry, that he takes on the highest-quality horses possible because he wins races. Bob had the personality and he was honest. Baffert did not win another classic race until 2001, when he won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes with eventual Hall of Fame member Point Given. Following the publication of the report, Baffert tweeted: Im gratified that CHRB completed its investigation & found there was no wrongdoing. This America's different." pic . My focus will always be on the best care for my horses. Shah, the owner of at least three of the horses, told The Post he had fully trusted Baffert as a trainer and had no reason to suspect that he would harm the horses he loves the horses. Brewster, the attorney, said that Baffert believed the horses had ingested rat poison, traces of which were found in one of them. Now 68, Baffert is seeing his livelihood and reputation under attack after a series of medication infractions have made him an outcast to some in the industry and a pariah to many more outside of it. He rejoined The Times in 2009 and left his post as deputy sports editor late in 2017. Robert A. Baffert is an American Racehorse Trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Among them, according to interviews and records obtained by The Post: a push to have the veterinary official removed from office, supported by a trade group with Baffert among its directors. He saddled Paynter in the Belmont Stakes later that year, but that colt, like his stablemate Bodemeister, finished second. But Arthurs report said Hollywood Park used a different sort of poison than that found in the necropsy. After the test result was revealed, Mick Ruis, the trainer and owner of the Santa Anita Derbys runner-up, sued the CHRB, claiming Justifys win should have been erased. Before his Kentucky Derby-winning colt, Medina Spirit, tested positive for betamethasone last month which could erase the victory his horses were cited for drug-related violations 29 times, according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI). (Pegram and Auerbach did not respond to interview requests. But Clark Brewster, the attorney representing Medina Spirits owner, Amr Zedan, then contacted The Post and described Baffert as being unfairly maligned. There wasnt any question in my mind, he said recently. Baffert responded: Zero tolerance?, Robertson, Bafferts attorney, then tried to negotiate for Baffert to avoid potential suspensions in both Arkansas and Kentucky. See, I bet you didnt know I was a jockey? Baffert said. This whole thing is ridiculous, Baffert texted back, according to messages obtained by The Post via public records request. [43] At the post-Belmont press conference, Baffert announced he and his wife would be making donations of $50,000 each to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), and Old Friends Equine, all programs for retired race horses; and to the Permanently Disabled Jockey's Fund in memory of a Quarter Horse Jockey named Robert Z. He won his first race on that 1970 afternoon but not as a trainer. Medina Spirit had a legal medication in him, ONeill said. The Post reported this month that Arthur had previously studied a spate of sudden horse deaths in Bafferts barn. In his analysis, Petersen estimated the states chances of winning at trial to be 50 percent. But even in those cases, which were handled according to established rules, the horses were disqualified and their winning purses were forfeited. Closing everything and moving forward is in Bobs best interest and the best interest of horse racing. The bottom line, he said, is if youre a horse in Bob Bafferts barn, youre there to work.. [25][26] On June 14, 2021, Baffert sued the NYRA alleging the association had no authority to suspend his license and that suspension "without prior notice" was a violation of the law. Teflon."[11]. The public backlash, including a letter written by a gay. Hospital food is a punchline. View . Baffert said in his autobiography it was a combination of ignorance and desperation. A court, the states lawyer wrote, could find that the CHRB abused its discretion and acted in a manner that was arbitrary, capricious, or entirely lacking in evidentiary support.. In 2015, he trained American Pharoah, the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.. Biography Bob Baffert is best known as a horse rider. But hes a good person, no, a great person. PUBLISHED 9:20 AM ET Jul. Then, when American Pharoah won the 2015 Belmont Stakes, the win was the fourth attempt at a Triple Crown for Baffert, who at age 62 became the second-oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown.[6]. The veterinarian chalked up Bafferts response to ignorance. Even then, he would not talk about the specifics of the cases against him. Baffert has had two fatalities in the last three years, a low number for a barn of his size. Rick Arthur, Californias medical equine director, who the documents show played a central role in the scuttling of the Justify matter, said the only part of the CHRBs handling of the case that disappointed him was the secrecy. Baffert was inducted into Lone Star Park's Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2009, he was nominated and inducted to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, the same year as a filly he trained, Silverbulletday. Another person who came to Bafferts defense was his former assistant Tim Yakteen, who now runs his own stable. However, Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid betamethasone. In that period, 36% of all cardiac related horse deaths in California were animals trained by Baffert. . Many in the racing world wondered how many times can the dog eat your homework? Baffert dedicated American Pharoah's win to Bobby. The suspension was scheduled to run March 8 through June 5. Horse trainer Bob Baffert, left, leaves federal court in Brooklyn on July 12. Baffert is America's pre-eminent active trainer. Baffert was suspended by the NYRA on May 17 -- a big deal as it barred the legendary horse trainer from entering into the prestigious June 5 Belmont Stakes race. He has won the Kentucky Oaks three times: first in 1999 with Silverbulletday, who was later selected for the Hall of Fame, then with Plum Pretty in 2011 and with Abel Tasman in 2017. The Jockey Club has a database of thoroughbred breakdowns meaning deaths stemming from track injuries but said it is barred from sharing its data because of its contracts with racetracks. With private eyes and political muscle, horse racings elite pushed to punish dopers, Bob Baffert, long horse racings irreverent king, sits on a precarious throne, Bob Baffert, banned from racing horses in New York, sues states racing association. Hell do anything to win, and hes got all his bases covered politically, Barry Irwin, owner of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, said of Baffert. The CHRB provided The Post with death data dating back to late 1990 showing that at least 87 of Bafferts horses have died in California since then. Baedeker said that before they made their recommendation to the board, they consulted with the states Office of the Attorney General, for which Petersen works, and received concurrence . Earlier data was unreliable, the racing publication said. Has his success made people hate him more? He also can be found at the Olympics, having just finished the Tokyo and Beijing double, marking his 11th Olympics. By then, Justify had won the Triple Crown, one of the rarest achievements in sports. The positive test only emerged when the New York Times reported it more than a year later. Baffert won his first race as a thoroughbred trainer Jan. 28, 1979, saddling Flipper Star to a victory at Rillito in Arizona. He made the jump to Los Alamitos, where he was running against such legends as Wayne Lukas. Hes the person few in the business want to talk about, but everyone wants to hear about. "So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky," Trump's statement read. The board followed their recommendation. But the sports new governing authority will not take over until mid-2022. Racing lacks a central clearinghouse for data on deaths nationally, and regulators in many states do not track deaths by trainer. [2] Baffert and his family reside in California. It was an easy suspension to serve as Baffert was in school and not doing much training. Rick Baedeker, who was executive director of the CHRB before retiring last year, said the boards decisions were carefully considered to avoid treating Baffert differently than any other trainer. Betamethasone is mostly injected into the joints of horses to ease inflammation and, if the inflammation is reduced, any associated pain subsides. Baffert, a La Caada Flintridge resident who is currently training his horses at Santa Anita, has not officially been charged with anything related to Medina Spirit. He was 10 when his father, Bill, bought a couple of quarter horses, plowed some land for a track and Bob started riding them before school each morning. When I won with [Triple Crown winners] American Pharoah and Justify, it was a relief. From there, he moved to racing at recognized tracks, scoring his first victory at age 17 in 1970. Some would argue, though, that if it makes a horse less uncomfortable, it improves their performance. The CHRB had not adopted that recommendation. While he allowed that the case was handled differently because of the Triple Crown ramifications, the special treatment had nothing to do with the horses trainer. The Post separately obtained start data dating back to 2000 from the Daily Racing Form to put the deaths into context. Drop dead while galloping, read a California Horse Racing Board vets account of the first horses death in November 2011. But Bafferts critics say his conduct after penning the article calls into question his seriousness about reform. The timing of the legislation was coincidental, he added: I understand where youre going and why, but there were no connections, from my perspective., Brewster, attorney for Medina Spirits owner, also said that Bafferts issue with Arthur was about Lasix and that the timing was irrelevant.. [10], Controversy deepened when on December 6, 2021, Medina Spirit died of an apparent heart attack after a workout at Santa Anita Park. The previous August, Bob Baffert Racing Stables had donated $1,000 to the TOC's political action committee, California records show. He was fined $1,500. Mick Ruis, the owner and trainer of the second-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby, has sued the CHRB. Two Triple Crown winners and a signature shock of white hair will do that for a man. Its truly painful when you know what the truth is, Baffert told The Times earlier this week in his first interview on the subject since May. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Testimonies have begun in the case of horse trainer Bob Baffert against Churchill Downs. At first it was believed the substance came from a pain-relief patch that Bafferts longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes was wearing because of back pain. In the settlement, which records show did not include monetary damages, CHRB agreed to file a complaint against Justify. The bold statement appeared to put Baffert on the right side of history: By the end of the year, President Donald Trump had signed into law the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which promised to reform the sport. CHRB regulations state that its foreign substances guidelines are based on ARCI recommendations as modified by the state board. Baedeker this week acknowledged that they handled the process more slowly than usual. Brodnik presented the board with a two-page memo stating an extensive investigation was conducted and the evidence proves that this was an environmental contamination incident. Baedeker and Arthur recommended the pending matters against Baffert be dismissed, according to the states legal analysis. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Churchill Downs goes after suspended trainer Bob Baffert with new policy. Those who have known Baffert the longest, including a core group of owners, recognize his flaws but generally remain steadfast in their support of him. After Uncle Sam, a 4-year-old colt, died during a workout at the track the following January, a vet wrote: This is the 3rd for this owner/trainer in about as many months collapsed and died.. Nine died in 2000, all but one from breakdowns. Two months later, the PAC contributed $2,000 to Gray's .
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