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. [8] His first suspension was in 1977 for misuse of morphene, but thereafter he had no violations for the next eight years. My focus will always be on the best care for my horses. Shah, the owner of at least three of the horses, told The Post he had fully trusted Baffert as a trainer and had no reason to suspect that he would harm the horses he loves the horses. Brewster, the attorney, said that Baffert believed the horses had ingested rat poison, traces of which were found in one of them. The winner's share of the $600 purse was $330. 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. Earlier data was unreliable, the racing publication said. He will rub people the wrong way by speaking his mind, sometimes he needs to hit the mute button. But hes a good person, no, a great person. I thought wed get fourth. The quest to find Jimson weed continued. 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. He acknowledged there was no way to determine if that bale was part of the delivery to Baffert, according to the records, but the CHRB investigator nonetheless submitted the sample for testing. "[10], However, over 30 horses Baffert trained have failed drug tests. 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. Anybody who walks with that swagger, people are going to love him or hate him, Pegram said. When a horse dies in California, CHRB records often list medications the horse had been prescribed, based on its medical history. His white hair, tinted glasses and accessibility make him a natural to promote the sport. That didnt feel appropriate to those of who wanted to see science prevail, Cardoza said. The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Trainer in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2015, Baffert has won 18 Breeders' Cup races, including four editions of the Classic with . Baffert also has wielded unmatched clout when regulators have discovered banned or excessive substances in his horses. Baffert, however, became the first trainer in history to win the Derby and Preakness in back-to-back years. Mr. 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. This whole thing is ridiculous, Baffert texted back, according to messages obtained by The Post via public records request. [As for whats going on now,] I dont like it but Im dealing with it. 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. 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. Shah said the two parted over disagreements that should have been resolved, without being specific. Baffert has trained horses that won fifteen American Classic Races, fifteen Breeders' Cup races, four Dubai World Cups and the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. But even in those cases, which were handled according to established rules, the horses were disqualified and their winning purses were forfeited. When The Post shared the data on 72 of the horse deaths with Brewster, he and Bafferts lawyer, W. Craig Robertson III, said that one of the horses listed was never in Bafferts care, though it is marked as his horse in CHRB records, and that another was a stable pony not being raced. Trainer Bob Baffert stands outside his barn at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2016, in Louisville, Ky. Medina . Arthur suggested the board retroactively apply it to the Justify case. (A CHRB spokesman declined to comment, citing pending litigation. "Bobby" Adair. In his analysis, Petersen estimated the states chances of winning at trial to be 50 percent. [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. Medina Spirit had a legal medication in him, ONeill said. It went exactly according to the lawyers plan. When I won with [Triple Crown winners] American Pharoah and Justify, it was a relief. But the overall record indicates that he may not be running as tight a ship as he should.. Theres a recognition that certain substances are normal in equine care, Martin said, but if that horse still requires that, then maybe you shouldnt run the horse., Martin made a distinction between doping horses with banned substances and running them with too much medication. May 10, 2021. 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. Arthur also presented exercise histories for the horses that showed they worked harder than average. [31][32] Additional charges were added on January 3, 2022. Following the 2015 Belmont win, Baffert outlined several charities that he and his wife Jill supported. The cluster of sudden deaths remains unexplained and there was no evidence whatsoever CHRB rules or regulations have been violated or any illicit activity played a part in the deaths, Arthurs report concluded. From there, he moved to racing at recognized tracks, scoring his first victory at age 17 in 1970. Garcia left California horse racing the next year, according to CHRB records; he could not be reached for comment by The Post. 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. . [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. Baffert is America's pre-eminent active trainer. Hollendorfers lawyer, Drew Couto, has claimed his client is being unfairly blamed for a high-profile spike of deaths at the track. 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. Early life and career [ edit] Some of the earlier violations do give you pause. He won the aforementioned first race at a sanctioned track in 1970, but his mother insisted he attend college and he enrolled in the University of Arizonas Race Track Industry Program. By then, Arthur already had a years-long, tangled history with Baffert. Hospital food is a punchline. The previous August, Bob Baffert Racing Stables had donated $1,000 to the TOCs political action committee, California records show. 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. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. His most serious infraction was also his first. Nothing is held back.. PUBLISHED 9:20 AM ET Jul. The trainer was fined $2,500. Bob had the personality and he was honest. Baffert grew up on a ranch in Nogales, Arizona, where his family raised cattle and chickens. Once the golden boy of horse racing, Bob Baffert now the face of its disgrace. 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. A 4/C violation meant minor punishment that wouldnt typically involve disqualifying the horse or redistributing winnings. 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. The rise and fall of Jorge Navarro, the alleged doping king of horse racing. The Judge made her ruling based on the NYRA having not allowed Baffert a forum to refute their claims and stated that (they the NYRA).."had held no hearing let alone a prompt one. The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc. in federal court to end his suspension. Yes, I'm a registered Republican, although I've voted for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. The 74 total deaths since 2000 put Baffert third among trainers. He has won the Kentucky Derby five times. It subsequently said any horses running for a suspended trainer (Baffert) would not be eligible for Kentucky Derby or Oaks qualifying points. This America's different." pic . [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. 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 5-year-old mare was the seventh seemingly healthy horse from that barn to drop dead in 16 months. American Pharoah next won the 140th Preakness Stakes, making six victories in that race for Baffert, who also finished fourth with Dortmund. It will all be settled by lawyers and judges and that takes time. At the time, she was 42-years-old. The dark side of Bob Baffert's reign. The California Horse Racing Board cleared Baffert of any wrongdoing, but with reservation, calling such a cluster of deaths a less than 1-in-1,000 occurrence. The colt lost the Belmont Stakes after breaking poorly from the starting gate. Share on Facebook TWEET This His last day as medical equine director is Wednesday. He still has a responsibility as the face of the game but I dont think hell overcome [this] because his personality wont allow him to do it.. [2] His first winner was Flipper Star at Rillito Park on January 28, 1979. Two months later, the PAC contributed $2,000 to Gray's . And promote he does, chatting with people he met one minute ago as if they were long-lost friends. There were at least 39 trainers with more fatalities to their name than Baffert during that period. 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. Were going to get through it.. [33], In February 2022, Baffert was suspended 90 days and fined $7,500 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Betamethasone is mostly injected into the joints of horses to ease inflammation and, if the inflammation is reduced, any associated pain subsides.
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