CDI suspends Baffert 2 years in wake of split sample result
 

CHURCHILL SUSPENDS BOB BAFFERT FOR TWO YEARS

Suspension Follows Medina Spirit’s Confirmed Positive for Prohibited Race-Day Substance

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, June 2, 2021) – Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) announced today the suspension of Bob Baffert for two years effective immediately through the conclusion of the 2023 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs Racetrack. The suspension prohibits Baffert, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Bob Baffert Racing Stables, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all CDI-owned racetracks. This decision follows the confirmation by attorneys representing Bob Baffert of the presence of betamethasone, a prohibited race-day substance, in Medina Spirit’s bloodstream on the day of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby in violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s equine medication protocols and CDI’s terms and conditions for racing.

“CDI has consistently advocated for strict medication regulations so that we can confidently ensure that horses are fit to race and the races are conducted fairly,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “Reckless practices and substance violations that jeopardize the safety of our equine and human athletes or compromise the integrity of our sport are not acceptable and as a company we must take measures to demonstrate that they will not be tolerated. Mr. Baffert’s record of testing failures threatens public confidence in thoroughbred racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby. Given these repeated failures over the last year, including the increasingly extraordinary explanations, we firmly believe that asserting our rights to impose these measures is our duty and responsibility.”

CDI reserves the right to extend Baffert’s suspension if there are additional violations in any racing jurisdiction

2 years for a medication overage? Seems fair to me LOL

It’s not just one Freddy.

He’s had an overage in their two biggest races in back to back years. He can do whatever he wants in California but obviously not in Kentucky.

This has been a long time coming.

Poor Bob. I am sure we all weep for him tonight.

It's a steep penalty, but if the sport is not going to enforce the drug rules it has it is going to be a PR disaster across the board--with the animal rights people (an ever broader class), bettors (who now have a huge menu of things to legally bet on), politicians, etc. I don't really see the alternative. Those who do tend to be way too close to the sport--they can't see how it looks outside our own circle.

You start listening to the fans in the stands you will be sitting with them soon enough

Baffert’s attorney went on CNN and claimed he’s the Michael Jordan of the sport. CNN retorted that maybe he is actually the Jose Canseco of the sport. His attorney got dominated on there.

Does NYRA and CHRB follow?

Yeah I was shocked at how poorly he came across

I like how CDI took his explanations into account with the overages. IMO, if BB would have just said I pushed the envelope a little too much and got caught, he probably would have gotten less on days, maybe 6 months? But his lies caught up to him finally. Lets hope NYRA and CHRB follow suit.

Without public confidence, there is no product. Not saying to listen to them, but the public needs to at least think that they are trying to clean up the sport. Just my opinion.

Public confidence? The friggin public has been betting Oscar, Scooter the Shooter, Servas, Michael Gill, and a cast of thousand REAL alchemists forever. Now lo and behold we need therapeutic medication pico gram police to clean up the sport? You want to clean up the criminals I TOTALLY get it and support it but I don't need people freaking out about nonsense overages that have absolutely nothing to do with hopping up stock. #FreeBB lol

What makes you think Double BB has a clue on what his staff/Vet is treating his horses with? Now it's fair to say that is a problem and I would agree with such but you think Double B is a vet or calling the med treatment protocols?

What’s the right punishment for him Freddy?

Nothing?

You know it’s more than therapeutic stuff with Baffert. He might not turn claimers into world beaters but he’s had his fair share of performances that don’t pass the smell test. Look at how his horses ran Belmont day of 2017.

Remember it took the Feds to catch Servis and Navarro.

And there’s the problem. Playing dumb isn’t an excuse. Why doesn’t the “Michael Jordan of the sport” know what is going on?

It’s like all of Servis and Navarro’s pretending they knew nothing.

I’ve seen some supposedly great attorneys look very mediocre when not in their wheelhouse. I’m guessing he’s very good at what he normally does but maybe not so good at public appearances when the interviewers aren’t so friendly.

Not saying he is a vet but as trainer he is responsible for what the vet gives his horses or what his employees do. I'm also tired of his silly excuses that he throws out hoping people will believe. IMO, he should lose all his horses due to the fact he doesn't know what is going on in his racing operation.

First of I am no lover of Baffert and I can sleep well if he never wins another race. The right punishment is whatever the punishment would be if Shug or H Graham would have been pegged no more no less within the guidelines specified in advance. Shug just had a positive in Indiana, this **** happens. I agree Double B is a more likely SPF 29000 user than either of the trainers above but that is NOT proof and so my subjective opinion of what is unprovable is irrelevant. You really think medina Spirit won the derby because he was high on some therapeutic common-ass medication? Or do the ends justify(excuse pun) the means and now that you busted him on a speeding ticket you lock him up as though it was attempted murder.

I agree he needs to be accountable for what is in his horses no argument here

Ive said multiple times the overage had nothing to do with Medina Spirit winning the Derby.

But Shug and Motion didn’t have an overage in the Oaks last year as well. They didn’t have another overage later in the year and 2 others overages earlier in the year at Oaklawn.

Shug and Graham didn’t have an overage with Justify in the SA Derby. They didn’t have 7 horses drop dead out of the blue.

Should I keep going?

If you suggesting that the state local and federal authorities have had ample circumstantial evidence to raid his barn a la what they did at Parx last week you will get no argument from me. We differ in as much as therapeutic picogram med overages are sloppy careless etc. they should be adjudicated as such nothing more not less.

If it was an isolated incident I’d agree. It’s not. He’s a habitual offender and doesn’t care.

When you enjoy all the benefits of being “the face off the sport” then you can’t be so sloppy. You need to be held to a different standard. Maybe that isn’t fair, but that’s the way it works.

Not even a different standard. Just the standard standard. And the barn has proven incapable of it.

:tro::tro:

Next time Alan Foreman is on have him explain the standard standard and how it is equally applied in jurisdictions throughout the states.

He's explained it plenty of times. There's rules that every outfit is familiar with in the jurisdictions in which they compete and adhere to pretty uniformly across the board.

You'd think having had a betamethasone violation months earlier in Kentucky, the barn would be familiar with the standard in KY.

There's ZERO excuse. There's ZERO defense. And I'm as big a fan of the barn and the man as there is in the media. There's no spinning it or manufacturing of a by-pass for it whether it was inadvertent with the topical or part of a therapeutic treatment with injections. It's the barn's responsibility ~ especially under the shadow of the '20 mishaps ~ to manage the care of the horse. Barns bigger than Baffert (Pletcher, Brown, Cox) and smaller (Greg Foley, Danny Velasquez) were able to do it.

Appreciate your comments here Steve. Would like to see more of your colleagues doing the same.

Spot on....:tro:


CDI suspends Baffert 2 years in wake of split sample result....and if the rest of the country follows suit it will be better.

Just when you thought that the horse racing industry couldn't be dragged any further down into the sewer, Baffert now finds himself in a real pissing contest as his attorney and the KHRC battle over the amount of urine that will be sent for additional testing.