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. Baffert says he plans to seek legal recourse wherever necessary. Another person who came to Bafferts defense was his former assistant Tim Yakteen, who now runs his own stable. 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. 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. Grays office told the committee that removing Dr. Arthur from his position, while intentional, is not the sole purpose of the bill, records show. 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. 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. But hes a good person, no, a great person. He was born on January 13, 1953, in Nogales, AZ. [10], Controversy deepened when on December 6, 2021, Medina Spirit died of an apparent heart attack after a workout at Santa Anita Park. 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. 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. 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. But until now, those violations, some of which Baffert has succeeded in getting overturned or reduced, have resulted in roughly $20,000 in fines against $321 million in career earnings. Trainer Bob Baffert stands outside his barn at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2016, in Louisville, Ky. Medina . To the newspaper, she. In 2010, Misremembered, a horse he bred, owned by his wife Jill and their friend George Jacobs, won the Santa Anita Handicap, marking Baffert's first Grade I win as a breeder instead of a trainer. The majority of the deaths in Bafferts care are attributed to breakdowns, though others have died suddenly without explanation and some of the horses suffered illness including his most recent death, Noodles, in May where pneumonia was the suspected cause. No sanctions were issued against Baffert.[40][41]. He appeared in an episode of the TV show Take Home Chef. Baffert, however, became the first trainer in history to win the Derby and Preakness in back-to-back years. A 4/C violation meant minor punishment that wouldnt typically involve disqualifying the horse or redistributing winnings. [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. But Clark Brewster, the attorney representing Medina Spirits owner, Amr Zedan, then contacted The Post and described Baffert as being unfairly maligned. 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. How carefully the dosage was followed was not determined, Arthur wrote. But in 2019, he was banned from Santa Anita Park and affiliated tracks after four of his horses died there in six months. There have been so many false narratives that have come up and the hearing process isnt even done yet. We went there with expectations not very high. 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. Teflon."[11]. 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. Mick Ruis, the owner and trainer of the second-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby, has sued the CHRB. Asked whether he was surprised by the finding that Bafferts barn was the deadliest in California, Roberts laughed. Baffert also trained the 2018 Triple Crown Winner, Justify and the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic. 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. Thats the only time I ever had to deal with somebody who tried to go to federal court to stop a state administrative action., Finally, in 2005, after the matter had returned to state court, the CHRB dismissed the suspension after an administrative law judge concluded Baffert had nothing to gain and a great deal to lose by the use of a banned substance on this horse., Baffert further solidified his influence in the ensuing years. He's saddled. 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 lawyers said that taking into account Bafferts estimate of how many horses he has in his care, a count that differs from the starts data, the number of deaths of horses in Bobs barn is consistent with what would normally be expected from the horse population in general. Starts are regularly used, including by the CHRB, to study the death rates of a trainer. Baffert said the horse was off the drug for 18 days before the race. Jerry Hollendorfer has the most deaths with 122. [2] His first winner was Flipper Star at Rillito Park on January 28, 1979. In 1977, as a part-time trainer, he was suspended for a year when one of his horses tested positive for morphine. My heart tells me one thing, but my head tells me something else, said veteran racing journalist Ron Flatter, the managing editor of the website Horse Racing Nation. Once again, the Hall of Fame. . 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. Hes always wanted to be a rock star and some people dont think racing should have one.. But the scuttled test result remained secret until the New York Times reported it in 2019. 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. But even in those cases, which were handled according to established rules, the horses were disqualified and their winning purses were forfeited. Thats much higher than the Jockey Clubs widely cited national rates, which never exceed two deaths per 1,000 starts. [2][4], Baffert established his early reputation with less expensive horses like Silver Charm and Real Quiet, bought for $16,500 and $17,000 respectively. But Californias adoption of ARCI guidelines is not a given. Many in the racing world wondered how many times can the dog eat your homework? Gagliano, the Jockey Club president, denied that the group had any knowledge of whom 5 Stones investigated, outside of the eventual indictments. You wouldnt know it now.. He has also won the Preakness Stakes five times and the Belmont Stakes once. 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.. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) A federal judge denied Bob Baffert's request to lift his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., ruling Friday that the Hall of Fame trainer did not prove its. 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 views himself as an ambassador for the sport. Less than two weeks later, Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby. Does the drug that could strip Medina Spirit of a Kentucky Derby win enhance performance? Baffert won his first race as a thoroughbred trainer Jan. 28, 1979, saddling Flipper Star to a victory at Rillito in Arizona. Horse racing needs to cut off the head of the snake, Ruis said. Baedeker and Arthur said in interviews that no matter how it was handled it would have been impossible to resolve the case that quickly. Horse trainer Bob Baffert, left, leaves federal court in Brooklyn on July 12. 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. After Baffert was notified a week following this years Kentucky Derby that the colts blood and urine sample contained 21 picograms, a trillionth of a gram, of betamethasone, he held a hastily called news conference outside his barn at Churchill Downs saying he had no idea how it could have gotten into the horses system. Baffert said the horse ingested hay after a groom, who was taking cough medicine, had urinated in the horses stall. [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. Until this summer, Baffert was the longest-serving member on the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, having been elected in 2007. Mr. 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.. In 2015, he trained American Pharoah, the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.. But Bafferts critics say his conduct after penning the article calls into question his seriousness about reform. His white hair, tinted glasses and accessibility make him a natural to promote the sport. Arthur suggested the board retroactively apply it to the Justify case. A CHRB investigator, searching for Jimson weed, had found a leafy substance at Santa Anita Park, the records show, and following the Derby, Arthur and the CHRBs lawyer agreed to have it tested. Baffert failed in multiple attempts in Kentucky to overturn the track's ban or the start of his suspension, which began April 4. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our equine and human athletes, Baffert wrote, and nothing impacts their health and safety more than the policies and procedures concerning drugs.. He built up his training business a step at a time and acquired some prominent owners. Bob Baffert wakes up most every day with one thing in mind, winning another Kentucky Derby. 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. Arthur is retiring at the end of June from a job often consumed by the scandals of a single trainer. 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. . Baffert is a three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, and has several top prospects for the May 5 race. 10, 2022. [As for whats going on now,] I dont like it but Im dealing with it. 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]. Robertson blamed the frequency of Bafferts drug-related violations on how often his horses are tested after winning races and said, Horse racings regulations need to catch up with the sensitivity of modern day testing., Jockey Club President James L. Gagliano dismissed that frequent complaint from Baffert. was unconstitutional after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test. Ive heard the rumors on Bobby since we got in the business after winning some Cal Cup races. Bob had the personality and he was honest. Baffert has saddled 34 horses in the Derby third-most in history since his first appearance in 1996. Even then, he would not talk about the specifics of the cases against him. 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. The consolation is knowing the truth will come out as the process plays out. I told him there would be nothing from CHRB before the KY Derby, unlikely before the Preakness and possibly not until after the Belmont, Arthur wrote. "Bobby" Adair. In fact, at some point Id like to get back together with Bob, Shah said. When he was 10, his father purchased some Quarter Horses and he practiced racing them on a dirt track. Two months later, the PAC contributed $2,000 to Grays successful election committee. See, I bet you didnt know I was a jockey? Baffert said. Baffert claims the defendants have "unlawfully deprived and will continue to deprive Baffert of his right to due process of law guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment and of his right to. Trainer Bob Baffert's ban from racing in New York is over - Associated Press Baffert barred from participating in Preakness Stakes by Maryland commission By Jacob Calvin Meyer - The. (At least one death of a Baffert horse identified by The Post was not included in the agencys data.) He tried his hand at substitute teaching before he started training horses full time. After Arthur cleared Baffert of wrongdoing, the legislation was abandoned. [8] His first suspension was in 1977 for misuse of morphene, but thereafter he had no violations for the next eight years. This article was published more than1 year ago. [42][44] A friend of Baffert's and an inductee into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame, Adair died on Preakness Day, May 16, 2015, at 71. Betamethasone is mostly injected into the joints of horses to ease inflammation and, if the inflammation is reduced, any associated pain subsides. Baffert trained Lookin At Lucky, co-owned by Mike Pegram, to win the Preakness Stakes in 2010. 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. But they dont usually die in a cluster from a single barn for no clear reason. The colt skipped the Belmont Stakes but became the champion three-year-old colt that year. Baffert failed in multiple attempts in Kentucky to overturn the track's ban or the start of his suspension, which began April 4. 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. 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. 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. [2] Baffert and his family reside in California. In response to public records requests in Maryland, New Jersey and Kentucky, officials told The Post that they did not maintain digital records of horse deaths by trainer, instead keeping reams of copies of reports. Medina Spirit departed Churchill Downs in a van before dawn on Monday, bound for Baltimore (a horse van, not Jeff Spicoli's VW bus ). (Pegram and Auerbach did not respond to interview requests. Hollywood Park closed in 2013, and the saga of the dead horses there faded quickly from the headlines. [8][37] That case was eventually dismissed as the regulators concluded the facts supported an instance of feed contamination. Four months after that, in May 2014, Arthur issued an advisory that the CHRB was concerned by the apparently indiscriminate use of thyroxine and that the drug must be prescribed for a specific horse for a specific condition. Arthur told The Post that the advisory was a result of the Baffert investigation. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks. The veterinarian chalked up Bafferts response to ignorance. Anybody who walks with that swagger, people are going to love him or hate him, Pegram said. 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. Arthur, the equine medical director, took issue with Petersens legal finding that the CHRBs handling of the case could be declared arbitrary or capricious.
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