Churchill Downs Extends Bob Baffert’s Ban

Article ByDavid Weir

July 4, 2023

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Posted in: US Gambling News, Kentucky Gambling News, US Horse Racing News

Churchill Downs Incorporated, the operator behind the famous Kentucky Derby horse race, has announced that its ongoing suspension of renowned trainer Bob Baffert (pictured) will be extended through its races for the calendar year 2024.

Baffert was suspended for two years in 2021. The ban came after his horse, Medina Spirit, won the Kentucky Deby, but then failed a post-race drug test and faced disqualification.

“Mr. Baffert’s ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities,” said a statement from the operator.

“A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct.”

Baffert returned to high-level horse racing earlier this year, training the winner, National Treasure, in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland. It marked a record eight Triple Crown wins over his training career.

False Narratives

For his part, Baffert, who has been a dominant figure in US horse racing for decades, expressed confusion and disappointment at the decision.

“I am at a loss to understand Churchill Downs’s latest action to suspend me,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter.

He went on to explain that he had been transparent about the circumstances surrounding the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby, which led to the horse’s disqualification.

Baffert stated that he had never injected Medina Spirit’s joints with betamethasone, the substance that led to the positive test.

Instead, he said, a topical ointment called Otomax had been used to treat a skin infection on the horse. He also noted that he had been advised by his attorneys that the use of Otomax was permitted under the rules.

“I have been open, honest, and forthcoming about these events. I have acknowledged that our treatment led to the positive (test), and I informed the Kentucky Racing Commission that we had treated Medina Spirit this way,” Baffert said. He added that the issue is currently being adjudicated by the Racing Commission.

Churchill Downs called Baffert’s whole story into question.

“Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby, from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations,” said an official statement, posted to media outlets on Monday.

Baffert had previously taken Churchill Downs to court, seeking an injunction on the ban. However the case was thrown out after evidence was presented of multiple medication violations under Baffert’s watch.

Legal Representation Weighs In

Clark Brewster, who represented Baffert in the Medina Spirit case, also expressed his surprise at the decision.

“This has nothing to do with anything that Bob has done or said,” he said.

Brewster pointed out that Baffert had been clear about the use of the topical ointment and felt that the rules permitted it.

“He felt that the rules dealing with betamethasone involved with injecting a horse within 14 days of the race. He’s been open and transparent and hasn’t been in any way accusatory. The words in this release are shocking and don’t deal with the reality in any way,” Brewster said.

The news comes at a challenging time for Churchill Downs. Last month, it temporarily suspended operations at its namesake racecourse in Kentucky after 12 horses died at the course in the space of two months. That included two equine fatalities over 2023’s Derby weekend on May 6.