Baffert has had more than 30 drug violations in his 44-year career, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. On the morning of this years Kentucky Derby, he was going through his list of past Kentucky Derby winners and should-have-been winners, and dismissed Medina Spirit as not the best horse in the race. Things would have been so much simpler if the horse had not won the race. The Baffert who snubbed me on April 29, 2010, that is the real Bob Baffert, not the glib, seemingly affable chap heretofore seen in TV interviews. [2] His first winner was Flipper Star at Rillito Park on January 28, 1979. He was fined $1,500. to move forward. Petersen did not respond to an interview request. But the scuttled test result remained secret until the New York Times reported it in 2019. 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. Arthur also presented exercise histories for the horses that showed they worked harder than average. Hollendorfers lawyer, Drew Couto, has claimed his client is being unfairly blamed for a high-profile spike of deaths at the track. Being a horse trainer is tough enough because its such an up-and-down, emotional roller coaster, Baffert said. His most serious infraction was also his first. He has won the Kentucky Derby five times. Baffert won his first race as a thoroughbred trainer Jan. 28, 1979, saddling Flipper Star to a victory at Rillito in Arizona. Baffert's attorney argued in court that the trainer's May suspension by the New York Racing Assn. He started at The Times in 1980 and left in 1995 to be sports editor of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Co. sports coordinator in 2002. Gray declined to be interviewed for this story, instead issuing a statement declaring that the personal vendettas of others, perceived or otherwise, play no roll [sic] in the legislation I carry. His spokesman added that campaign contributions do not affect Grays policy proposals. One of his grooms, Clemintino Abrego Garcia, testified that Baffert called him three or four times attempting to get him to admit that he had eaten baked goods near the horse. The veterinarian chalked up Bafferts response to ignorance. The TOC, of which Baffert is still a board member, did not respond to requests for comment. On June 2, with the Belmont Stakes a week away, the owner of a feed operation showed up at the CHRB office carrying plant samples he said he found more than a month earlier, the records show. Clark Brewster, a nationally known trial attorney who represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her defamation suit against President Trump, will be Bafferts attorney in any litigation against Churchill Downs. What I can tell you definitely is this case was handled differently, and it was handled differently because of Rick Arthur, said Ruiss attorney, Darrell Vienna. "What a way to come back," said Baffert, whose punishment by the Kentucky Horse . 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 . After the Times broke the news of the positive drug test, Ruis sued the CHRB in January 2020. But when factoring in the number of races run, Bafferts horses have died at the highest rate of the 10 trainers who have had the most horse deaths. CNN Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert will miss the Kentucky Derby for a second straight year after a federal judge denied his request to have a two-year ban by Churchill Downs Inc.. The average death rate for racehorses in California, according to an analysis of more than 5,000 deaths since 2000, is 7.2 per 1,000 starts. In 1997 he won his first Kentucky Derby with Silver Charm. He married his second wife, Jill, a former television reporter based in Louisville, in 2002. American Pharoah next won the 140th Preakness Stakes, making six victories in that race for Baffert, who also finished fourth with Dortmund. Yes, I'm a registered Republican, although I've voted for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. In the 1980s, Baffert moved to California and worked at Los Alamitos Race Course, where he switched to training Thoroughbreds full-time in 1991. A week after that, Baffert learned of the positive test. LOS ANGELES In 2018, as star trainer Bob Baffert led his thoroughbred Justify to the Triple Crown, California regulators embarked on a secret effort to exonerate Baffert after the horses positive test for a banned substance, according to confidential records obtained by The Washington Post that fully detail the saga for the first time. His primary attorney is Craig Robertson, who represents him in all regulatory matters, but he has recused himself from any action against Churchill Downs because his law firm does business with the company, creating a conflict of interest. In a scheme typical of the high-stakes warring behind the scenes in racing, four thoroughbred owners entered talks in 2015 with a private intelligence agency to dig up drug-related dirt on Baffert, according to multiple people with direct knowledge. 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. The CHRB ruled it was caused by feed contamination, citing six other horses across four barns who also tested positive. Its all because of his success.. 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. [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. Last October Gamine was disqualified from third to last in the Kentucky Oaks after betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory, was discovered in the horses system. But Arthurs report said Hollywood Park used a different sort of poison than that found in the necropsy. After Arthur cleared Baffert of wrongdoing, the legislation was abandoned. Arthur suggested the board retroactively apply it to the Justify case. Finding a new director every two to four years would cost $300,000 each time, a committee that analyzed the bill found. Between November 2011 and March 2013, however, Baffert had seven of his horses die of sudden death, not on the race track. However, Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid betamethasone. On Monday, Bell confirmed he helped with the search, adding Jimson weed has plagued California for years.. Again, we can most likely agree to most anything in Kentucky except a suspension.. But its a lot more difficult when going against a private company, such as Churchill Downs, which can invoke its own penalties. I believe there is some precedent in criminal law when a law is changed from a felony to a misdemeanor how they should be prosecuted even before the new law becomes effective, wrote Arthur, whose job before medical equine director was as a racetrack veterinarian. Hospital food is a punchline. His reasoning was that Baffert also administered thyroxine to horses outside of Hollywood Park, where his horses did not suffer sudden deaths. Most were for excessive use of phenylbutazone, a commonly used anti-inflammatory known as bute. The CHRB had not adopted that recommendation. This in turn led to a ban from all California Horse Racing Board facilities beginning April 4 due to a rule removing any trainer under a 60 day or higher ban from all CHRB facilities. Other people may have made a different decision, but to say that there was no basis for that decision is pure bulls---, said Arthur, who announced his retirement this year. [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. He told reporters that he would fight the issue "tooth and nail. It bothers me when hes not considered the Kentucky Derby winner.. The deadliest period came between 2000 and 2005, when 34 of Bafferts horses in California died. If they didnt adopt those rules, the rules that prevail are the ones they adopted.. You could trust him and that never changed.. California keeps track of horse deaths by trainer, but there are errors and limits to the data. Bob is trying to put 2020 behind him and move forward in a positive manner, Robertson wrote in an e-mail to Borden. In his analysis, Petersen estimated the states chances of winning at trial to be 50 percent. Arthur said the TOC was behind the effort to oust him because of his criticism of Lasix. He rejoined The Times in 2009 and left his post as deputy sports editor late in 2017. Baffert was fined $10,000. "So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky," Trump's statement read. John Cherwa is a special contributor to the Los Angeles Times. Gagliano, the Jockey Club president, denied that the group had any knowledge of whom 5 Stones investigated, outside of the eventual indictments. Bob Baffert blamed "cancel culture" after his horse, Medina Spirit, who won the Kentucky Derby, failed its post-race drug test. But he said it wasnt clear from the records why the CHRB reversed course on filing a complaint against Baffert. It wasn't long after the running of the 123rd Kentucky Derby, where a grey . Less than two weeks later, Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby. followed up and ruled Baffert would not be allowed to run in New York. None of them are considered performance-enhancing in the traditional sense, such as amphetamines or speedballs. Mick Ruis, who trained against Baffert for a couple years but now just manages his own racing business, once admired Baffert and his success, but no longer. It was obvious long before Miners Daughter collapsed in a blood-tinged froth in March 2013 that there was something amiss in Barn 61 at Hollywood Park, the Los Angeles-area racetrack. The CHRB officially opened an investigation. 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. . Former Democratic congressman Dennis Cardoza, also on the board, was co-owner with Pegram of Shakin It Up, a successful thoroughbred trained by Baffert. Instead of promptly filing a public complaint against Baffert, the CHRB kept the positive result secret while Arthur conducted a lengthy investigation. [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. When I won with [Triple Crown winners] American Pharoah and Justify, it was a relief. He also can be found at the Olympics, having just finished the Tokyo and Beijing double, marking his 11th Olympics. In his teens, he worked as a jockey for $100 a day in informal Quarter Horse races on the outskirts of Nogales. Hes Mr. Teflon.. In 2015, the Daily Herald ran a profile on Jill Baffert, explaining that she was a former journalist and waitress from Centerville. [24], On May 17, 2021, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) banned Baffert from entering Medina Spirit or any of his other horses in the 2021 Belmont Stakes or any other race at Belmont Park. Two months after Arthur cleared Baffert, the legislation to limit his term died. [34] However, the Kentucky Court of Appeals rejected Baffert's appeal on April 1. 10, 2022. Betamethasone is mostly injected into the joints of horses to ease inflammation and, if the inflammation is reduced, any associated pain subsides. But by August, the plan had changed. On a recent afternoon, Baffert appeared largely unperturbed by the firestorm surrounding him when he answered his door in Arcadia, Calif. This is the first Ive learned of it, Baffert responded when told of The Posts finding that he had the highest rate of horse deaths among other top trainers in the state. The 5-year-old mare was the seventh seemingly healthy horse from that barn to drop dead in 16 months. Ruis horse, Bolt dOro, finished second. [2], Baffert graduated from the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program with a Bachelor of Science degree,[3] got married, and began training quarter horses at a Prescott, Arizona farm. He has also won the Preakness Stakes five times and the Belmont Stakes once. was unconstitutional after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test. 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. In the next six months, three of his horses tested positive for banned or excessive substances four times in California, Arkansas and Kentucky. Thats much higher than the Jockey Clubs widely cited national rates, which never exceed two deaths per 1,000 starts. In 2000, for instance, another of his horses, Nautical Look, tested positive for morphine, landing Baffert a two-month suspension. It elicited little notice; racehorses die by the hundreds per year in California alone. Yakteen rose to Bafferts defense and it ended with a scuffle that slightly injured a security guard. 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. We had some thoroughbreds with another trainer and Im thinking how can we make money with Bobby running for $4,000 at night when we could be running for $40,000 during the day, Pegram said. LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. High Connection won the $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby by 1 3/4 lengths Saturday, giving trainer Bob Baffert his second victory on the card in his return to competition after serving a 90-day suspension. With upward of $1 million in yearly revenue drawn from wagering at tracks, the TOCs stated mission included establishing fair and reasonable medication rules and integrity standards., Baffert, the groups resident celebrity, was in business with several of his colleagues. On June 1, Baedeker had asked the agencys top lawyer and investigator how close they were to filing the Scopolamine complaints., On July 9, a month after Justifys Belmont triumph, the agencys chief counsel, Robert Brodnik, wrote to the CHRB investigator that they would like to officially file by Monday.. Nonetheless, in that case, Arkansas suspended Baffert for 15 days. Citrus Feed Companys Larry Bell has long supplied Baffert with feed and has previously testified in Bafferts defense, according to CHRB records. I felt that we wouldve been dumping this in their lap, that we wouldve been putting them in an unfair position, and that we needed to go ahead and do the difficult thing, quite frankly, which is take responsibility for the decision, Baedeker said. LOS ANGELES In 2018, as star trainer Bob Baffert led his thoroughbred Justify to the Triple Crown, California regulators embarked on a secret effort to exonerate Baffert after the horse's. Arthur, the equine medical director, took issue with Petersens legal finding that the CHRBs handling of the case could be declared arbitrary or capricious. The board agreed not to disqualify Justify. He paused, then added: Ive learned who my friends are.. A New York federal judge on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 nullified the suspension of horse trainer Bob Baffert, finding that the New York Racing Association acted unconstitutionally by failing to let him adequately respond to claims made against him after Kentucky . Baffert's horses have won seven Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes and three Kentucky Oaks. This time, he aided the CHRBs search for Jimson weed. Carson Valley was killed in a freak accident in 2019 at Del Mar when a loose horse crashed into the Baffert trainee. [8][37] That case was eventually dismissed as the regulators concluded the facts supported an instance of feed contamination. On May 5, Justify won the Kentucky Derby, upping the stakes of the investigation. Currently, his major coverage area is horse racing, where he can be found at big races at Santa Anita, the Triple Crown series and Breeders Cup. Kentucky regulators taped calls without consent with Baffert after Medina Spirit test. There have been so many false narratives that have come up and the hearing process isnt even done yet. Baffert parlayed a hobby as a 5-foot-9 jockey into a job as a quarter-horse conditioner into a career as a thoroughbred trainer before jumping onto the highest pedestal of horse racing and becoming the most recognizable name in the sport. Either way, the state-appointed official probing Bafferts role in the deaths at Hollywood Park did so as his job was being threatened by the efforts of a Baffert-affiliated coalition. [11], Prior to Medina Spirit's death, Baffert had last been under intense scrutiny a decade earlier when seven horses in his stables at Hollywood Park died between November 2, 2011 and March 14, 2013, all from sudden and later unexplained heart attacks. Baffert is America's pre-eminent active trainer. Unlike a normal day at the races, Bafferts fate will not be decided by a photo-finish camera or the actions of a jockey aboard a 1,000-pound animal. 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. 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. This America's different." pic . 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. Baffert wants a preliminary injunction that would keep Churchill Downs from denying his horses entry into races there and at Turfway Park, in Florence, Ky., and from "prohibiting him from earning. CHRB regulations state that its foreign substances guidelines are based on ARCI recommendations as modified by the state board. Baffert did not have a horse hit the board again in any of the Triple Crown races until 2009, when he trained Pioneerof The Nile to a second-place finish in the Derby. In February, Kentucky racing officials decided against suspending Baffert, with Borden telling the Louisville Courier-Journal a lesser punishment was all in the course of being fair. And in April, Arkansas officials reversed the 15-day suspension for lidocaine positives that the trainer blamed on an assistants pain patch. Decorated racehorse trainer who won multiple Kentucky Derbies, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. In July 2020, Merneith tested positive for dextromethorphan, a drug commonly used in cough medicine. Baffert grew up on a ranch in Nogales, Arizona, where his family raised cattle and chickens. I went under the radar. May 10, 2021. Shortly after Petersen sent the analysis of the states chances, the CHRB agreed to settle Ruiss lawsuit. California counts all fatalities of horses in a trainers care, including breakdowns during training, not just racing deaths. In each instance, the death is investigated. . Please answer some questions in this short survey about professional soccer and the 2022 Men's FIFA World Cup. In the settlement, which records show did not include monetary damages, CHRB agreed to file a complaint against Justify. Santa Anitas 16-day fall season begins Friday with 14 stakes races over three days as trainers and owners take aim at the Breeders Cup at Del Mar. 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. The first two infractions occurred in May 2020, when the horses Charlatan and Gamine tested positive in Arkansas for lidocaine, a numbing agent. The scheme involved digging up drug-related dirt on Baffert and then telling him that the evidence could disappear tomorrow if he were to endorse the federal reforms of the sport, one of the people said. "[16][17] Nonetheless, Churchill Downs suspended Baffert from entering any horses at their racetrack pending the outcome of an investigation. In 2013 the group hosted a Lasix-focused event at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills at which one owner reportedly said running a race without the drug was like waterboarding your horse in their own blood.. With private eyes and political muscle, horse racings elite pushed to punish dopers, Throughout the months-long process, CHRB officials had indicated they planned on filing a complaint against Baffert, which would have exposed the failed drug test. [21][22] Sports Illustrated suggested that the positive drug test was a sign that Baffert's "leaking credibility" had reached "the saturation point. Bob Baffert has supporters and detractors in how he deals with jockeys By John Cherwa Special Contributor Nov. 2, 2016 4:28 PM PT Bob Baffert, still fresh and snappy after hours of morning. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks . Churchill Downs announced that any points earned in the leadup to the Kentucky Derby by horses associated with a suspended trainer would not be counted a move that seemingly targets Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. The board followed their recommendation. ), Arthur has defended his handling of the Justify positive. He claimed the boards cover up cost him damages including the $400,000 difference between the first-place and second-place purses in the Santa Anita Derby. How carefully the dosage was followed was not determined, Arthur wrote. The longest his suspension from Kentucky would be is 30 days, which would be honored by all racing jurisdictions. 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. The rise and fall of Jorge Navarro, the alleged doping king of horse racing. Like Baffert, Hollendorfer is in the thoroughbred Hall of Fame. Shah said the two parted over disagreements that should have been resolved, without being specific. According to protocols, the medication is supposed to have a 14-day withdrawal period. He followed it with six more Derbies, two of which launched Triple Crown runs, with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. For every Baffert defender, you can find someone on the other side. [14] It was Baffert's fifth violation in 13 months. Following the 2015 Belmont win, Baffert outlined several charities that he and his wife Jill supported. A complaint is filed in every case where the split sample confirms the original laboratory finding, read an advisory on the CHRB website. Some of the earlier violations do give you pause. Baffert, like many trainers, was using a thyroid drug that was cited in the CHRB investigation. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended from the home of the Kentucky Derby for two years after Medina Spirit's positive post-race drug was confirmed, the company that runs the. His attorney, let me just say, worked very, very hard, recalled former California Deputy Attorney General Jerald L. Mosley, who represented the state in attempting to uphold the suspension. By then, Justify had won the Triple Crown, one of the rarest achievements in sports. This whole thing is ridiculous, Baffert texted back, according to messages obtained by The Post via public records request. Bob Bafferts horses have incurred numerous drug violations over the course of his 44 years as a thoroughbred trainer. The. We live and work in a fishbowl, with rumors and accusations flowing constantly, Baffert said. Mr. When the CHRB also decided to run DNA tests on the horses blood samples, the records show Arthur said the request would be a big deal and asked if they could wait until after the Preakness, which was 10 days away. Officials worked secretly to clear Bob Bafferts Justify amid 2018 Triple Crown run, records show. It subsequently said any horses running for a suspended trainer (Baffert) would not be eligible for Kentucky Derby or Oaks qualifying points. 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. But Baffert and his lawyers had since established a reputation for pugnaciousness when regulators attempted to discipline him. There wasnt any question in my mind, he said recently. Baffert has paid out over $20,000 in fines, but compared against over $321 million in career earnings. Baffert is known for holding court on such ideas at Clockers Corner, a popular hangout for horsemen at Santa Anita Park. Only once has a Kentucky Derby winner been disqualified for a medication violation. He also dismissed complaints that doping was rampant in the sport. I think much of the GOP political party is moving too far to the right. On June 9, Justify won the Belmont and the Triple Crown. Arthur indicated in his report that thyroxine was suspected to cause heart problems for horses during exercise, and at least four of the sudden deaths involved confirmed or suspected cardiac failure.

Who Did Eddie Van Halen Leave His Money To, Is Chicagoland Speedway Being Torn Down, George Auto Sales Jackson, Ms Inventory, Why Did Britain And France Declare War On Germany, Articles B