(Pegram and Auerbach did not respond to interview requests. You could trust him and that never changed.. 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. They had discussions with David Tinsley, the former DEA supervisor who runs 5 Stones, the people said, but the thoroughbred owners involved scrapped the plan. Citrus Feed Companys Larry Bell has long supplied Baffert with feed and has previously testified in Bafferts defense, according to CHRB records. The new classification simply makes more sense pharmacologically, Arthur wrote. 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. That was one of the most exciting and enjoyable Derbies, Baffert said. The 74 total deaths since 2000 put Baffert third among trainers. 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. It wasn't long after the running of the 123rd Kentucky Derby, where a grey . [13] In Kentucky, any amount of betamethasone detected in post-race testing is a violation and could result in a disqualification. In April, after Arkansas reversed its decision on two Baffert horses and overturned his suspension, trainer Richard Baltas was bad-mouthing Baffert at Clockers Corner, the place where trainers and fans watch horses work in the morning at Santa Anita. 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. In 1997, he trained Silver Charm to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, finishing second in the Belmont. But Baffert and his lawyers had since established a reputation for pugnaciousness when regulators attempted to discipline him. After Arthur cleared Baffert of wrongdoing, the legislation was abandoned. Its so obvious. [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. Baffert made the. His most serious infraction was also his first. Yes, I'm a registered Republican, although I've voted for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. After winning the Santa Anita Derby in April of that year, Bafferts Justify tested positive for scopolamine, a banned substance, which normally would have disqualified the victory and made the horse ineligible to run in that years Kentucky Derby. Once again, the Hall of Fame. Decorated racehorse trainer who won multiple Kentucky Derbies, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Baffert also trained the 2018 Triple Crown Winner, Justify and the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks . To the newspaper, she. Racing lacks a central clearinghouse for data on deaths nationally, and regulators in many states do not track deaths by trainer. was unconstitutional after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test. There wasnt any question in my mind, he said recently. On July 15, 2020, Deputy Attorney General Robert Petersen sent his initial case assessment to Brodnik. The 90 day ban against Baffert was set to be honored in all 38 racing states. The previous August, Bob Baffert Racing Stables had donated $1,000 to the TOCs political action committee, California records show. PUBLISHED 9:20 AM ET Jul. There have been so many false narratives that have come up and the hearing process isnt even done yet. Baffert responded: Zero tolerance?, Robertson, Bafferts attorney, then tried to negotiate for Baffert to avoid potential suspensions in both Arkansas and Kentucky. When a horse dies in California, CHRB records often list medications the horse had been prescribed, based on its medical history. Last October Gamine was disqualified from third to last in the Kentucky Oaks after betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory, was discovered in the horses system. On Monday, Bell confirmed he helped with the search, adding Jimson weed has plagued California for years.. He also won the race in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 when run as a Grade I event. Baffert said in his autobiography it was a combination of ignorance and desperation. 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. Medina Spirit died after a training session on 6 December 2021 and an ensuing necropsy on 11 February 2022 was inconclusive. In 2015, he trained American Pharoah, the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.. This America's different." pic . Horse owner and racing reform advocate Barry Irwin has stated, "He's Mr. 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. Only once has a Kentucky Derby winner been disqualified for a medication violation. Racing officials ruled that the positive test was a result of contamination and the wins of Charlatan and Gamine were restored. The horse is scheduled to run Saturday in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. Baffert is the biggest name in horse racing, even bigger than the animals he conditions. American Pharoah next won the 140th Preakness Stakes, making six victories in that race for Baffert, who also finished fourth with Dortmund. He got his first big break in 1992 when he won his first Breeder's Cup race with Thirty Slews. The winner's share of the $600 purse was $330. Horse trainer Bob Baffert before the 2020 Breeders Cup at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Trainer Bob Baffert pets an outriders horse while watching workouts at Churchill Downs in April. Its bizarre, Baedeker said, because you have a deputy attorney general criticizing the board for following the law to the letter.. Some would argue, though, that if it makes a horse less uncomfortable, it improves their performance. "What a way to come back," said Baffert, whose punishment by the Kentucky Horse . The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc. in federal court to end his suspension. During a hearing, records show, Baffert argued the positive test could have been a result of his stable hands eating poppy seed bagels and muffins around the horse. The way this case was handled was out of respect for Justify., On the afternoon of April 18, 2018, Arthur learned that Justify and another Baffert horse, Hoppertunity, had tested positive for scopolamine. A week after that, Baffert learned of the positive test. Baffert has trained horses that won fifteen American Classic Races, fifteen Breeders' Cup races, four Dubai World Cups and the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. 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. Bafferts record of testing failures threatens public confidence in thoroughbred racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby, said Bill Carstanjen, chief executive of Churchill Downs Inc. 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.. 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. Longtime client Mike Pegram explained, "Anybody who walks with that swagger, people are going to love him or hate himhe's a wiseass and irreverent." 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. In the court of public opinion, hes a big loser, said Barry Irwin, owner of racing group Team Valor and an outspoken critic of race-day medication and Baffert. 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. Baffert faces unprecedented scrutiny after a positive drug test marred a win by his horse Medina Spirit at this years Kentucky Derby. 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]. [2] Baffert and his family reside in California. However, Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid betamethasone. In 2012, Baffert saddled Bodemeister, named for the trainer's youngest son, Bode, to second-place finishes in the Derby and Preakness. The colt went on to win the Preakness Stakes, giving the trainer his third shot at winning the Triple Crown. 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.. But Californias adoption of ARCI guidelines is not a given. In a recent interview, Arthur described his findings as damning for Baffert, in particular analysis in his report showing that, over a six-year period, Bafferts horses were nine times more likely to die of sudden death than the average trainers. In 1977, as a part-time trainer, he was suspended for a year when one of his horses tested positive for morphine. The testing levels have become ridiculous, Baffert told a conference of racehorse veterinarians during his keynote speech in 2000, according to a trade publication. [38] This reminded the public that since 2000, at least 74 other horses had died while in Baffert's stables. Hollywood Park closed in 2013, and the saga of the dead horses there faded quickly from the headlines. In New York, chefs are redefining it. Gagliano, the Jockey Club president, denied that the group had any knowledge of whom 5 Stones investigated, outside of the eventual indictments. His graded stakes wins include nine wins in the Santa Anita Derby, nine in the Haskell Invitational Handicap, and fourteen in the Del Mar Futurity, a race he won seven straight times from 1996 to 2002, when it was a Grade II event. 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. 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. Its not often that a sport turns against its biggest star, but Churchill Downs has taken that stand. The groom denied it. Some of my friends swear that I'm actually a conservative Democrat. Please answer some questions in this short survey about professional soccer and the 2022 Men's FIFA World Cup. Arthur suggested the board retroactively apply it to the Justify case. To me, whats in the best interest of the sport is not seeing anyone being dogpiled on.. The trainer was Baffert. Hal Earnhardt, an Arizona car dealer and Bafferts oldest client, introduced him to Pegram, who made his money in fast-food franchising. [21][22] Sports Illustrated suggested that the positive drug test was a sign that Baffert's "leaking credibility" had reached "the saturation point. How carefully the dosage was followed was not determined, Arthur wrote. We live and work in a fishbowl, with rumors and accusations flowing constantly, Baffert said. Hes a very unique personality, a unique sense of humor. Its all right there in black and white; thats all I can say., ARCI President Ed Martin said the rules limiting race-day medications have been tightened not out of concern for performance enhancement but to prevent breakdowns. The rise and fall of Jorge Navarro, the alleged doping king of horse racing. Its just disheartening. 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. Hes Mr. Teflon.. "We live in a different world now. But in 2018, Arthur was still on the job when another Baffert-trained horse tested regulators willingness to challenge him. All of the explanations for the positive drug tests are plausible, but collectively they raise questions. Obviously if we can get the Kentucky case resolved, Arkansas will have the benefit of knowing that result before a final decision is made in that case. [citation needed], According to his supporters, Baffert's style and personality, combined with his success, have made him a target for controversy. Asked whether he was surprised by the finding that Bafferts barn was the deadliest in California, Roberts laughed. Between 1997 and 1999, he won the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer three years running and was voted the 1997 Big Sport of Turfdom Award. 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. May 10, 2021. This America's different." pic . Between November 2011 and March 2013, however, Baffert had seven of his horses die of sudden death, not on the race track.