But its a lot more difficult when going against a private company, such as Churchill Downs, which can invoke its own penalties. And Ive warned them that this was not going to stay a secret at the time, he testified of the CHRB, but that was their decision, not mine. (Baedeker, who retired last year, told The Post they couldnt legally disclose the test results because CHRB did not file a complaint.). In fact, Bafferts horses, at 8.3 deaths per 1,000 starts, have died at a significantly higher rate than Hollendorfers, at 6.25. 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. Baffert says he plans to seek legal recourse wherever necessary. But in 2018, Arthur was still on the job when another Baffert-trained horse tested regulators willingness to challenge him. But they dont usually die in a cluster from a single barn for no clear reason. "So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky," Trump's statement read. 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. PUBLISHED 9:20 AM ET Jul. 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. On at least 14 occasions, Baffert has been caught racing a horse with more than the allowable amount of bute in its system, according to a review of ARCI data, making it his most common offense. Horse trainer Bob Baffert on Monday argued that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit had been a victim of "cancel culture" after the horse failed a postrace drug test . I went under the radar. How carefully the dosage was followed was not determined, Arthur wrote. None of them are considered performance-enhancing in the traditional sense, such as amphetamines or speedballs. And Noodles died May 22 of a non-exercise induced respiratory issue. By the April 1 ruling, Baffert had already transferred four 3-year-old colts to other trainers. 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. The hearing for a preliminary injunction began in federal court on Thursday afternoon, continuing a nearly two-year-long legal battle between Baffert and the racetrack following his suspension back in 2021. Its all because of his success.. [8][37] That case was eventually dismissed as the regulators concluded the facts supported an instance of feed contamination. Its more the friendship that I miss. The 77-year-old billionaire made headlines last year when he made a $10,000 contribution to opponents of Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance. It was later discovered that horses from separate barns had also tested positive. The groom denied it. On Monday, Bell confirmed he helped with the search, adding Jimson weed has plagued California for years.. Two months later, the PAC contributed $2,000 to Gray's . Some of the horses that have died have been my horses, and on each and every instance, I have spoken to Bob and Ive been more than satisfied with the explanation, Shah said. It will all be settled by lawyers and judges and that takes time. He appeared in an episode of the TV show Take Home Chef. By then, Arthur already had a years-long, tangled history with Baffert. Bob Baffert's Life Is Good gallops to win in San Felipe Stakes at Santa Pegram persuaded Baffert to try thoroughbreds. In the next six months, three of his horses tested positive for banned or excessive substances four times in California, Arkansas and Kentucky. [15], At a news conference on May 9, Baffert initially said that Medina Spirit was never administered betamethasone. Arthur also presented exercise histories for the horses that showed they worked harder than average. Theres 10,000 other trainers who understand the absolute insurer rule and dont seem to run afoul of it, Gagliano said, referring to the edict that any substances in the horse are the trainers responsibility. Other trainers seem to navigate just fine.. The timing of the legislation was coincidental, he added: I understand where youre going and why, but there were no connections, from my perspective., Brewster, attorney for Medina Spirits owner, also said that Bafferts issue with Arthur was about Lasix and that the timing was irrelevant.. The consolation is knowing the truth will come out as the process plays out. Bob Baffert - Bio, News, Photos - Washington Times If it surprised me it would be that I expected more, Roberts said. Baffert sued in federal court, claiming the two months off could cost him $11 million in purses. In the settlement, which records show did not include monetary damages, CHRB agreed to file a complaint against Justify. This article was published more than1 year ago. It bothers me when hes not considered the Kentucky Derby winner.. [18] Baffert responded by saying the situation "was like a cancel culture kind of a thing," a remark which earned him noticeable criticism from the press. In September, Baffert learned via a text message from Barbara Borden, chief steward for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, that his horse Gamine had tested positive for the anti-inflammatory betamethasone at the Kentucky Oaks. Medina Spirit died after a training session on 6 December 2021 and an ensuing necropsy on 11 February 2022 was inconclusive. Its so obvious. In his teens, he worked as a jockey for $100 a day in informal Quarter Horse races on the outskirts of Nogales. 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. Were going to get through it.. He has often blamed drug positives on trace contamination from substances in a horses barn and has criticized tightening restrictions on the race-day use of bute and other drugs. The dark side of Bob Baffert's reign - Washington Post Hollendorfers lawyer, Drew Couto, has claimed his client is being unfairly blamed for a high-profile spike of deaths at the track. 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. Baffert did not have another medication violation for eight years. American Pharoah next won the 140th Preakness Stakes, making six victories in that race for Baffert, who also finished fourth with Dortmund. 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. It was an easy suspension to serve as Baffert was in school and not doing much training. Baffert grew up on a ranch in Nogales, Arizona, where his family raised cattle and chickens. Biography Bob Baffert is best known as a horse rider. We live and work in a fishbowl, with rumors and accusations flowing constantly, Baffert said. Does the drug that could strip Medina Spirit of a Kentucky Derby win enhance performance? Hes good.. Baffert has had two fatalities in the last three years, a low number for a barn of his size. 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. 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. When he was 10, his father purchased some Quarter Horses and he practiced racing them on a dirt track. View . Usually, regulatory agencies do not have the guts to do whats fair and right, Arthur testified during a CHRB hearing in October, and this board made that decision appropriately., He conceded that the lack of transparency was unusual. (At least one death of a Baffert horse identified by The Post was not included in the agencys data.) 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. California counts all fatalities of horses in a trainers care, including breakdowns during training, not just racing deaths. Baffert is the biggest name in horse racing, even bigger than the animals he conditions. This whole thing is ridiculous, Baffert texted back, according to messages obtained by The Post via public records request. Baedeker said that before they made their recommendation to the board, they consulted with the states Office of the Attorney General, for which Petersen works, and received concurrence . 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. But the overall record indicates that he may not be running as tight a ship as he should.. Tinsley declined to comment. Bob Baffert suspended from home of Kentucky Derby after Medina - CNN [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. Petersen opined it would have been unfair to punish Baffert for what he called an oversight by CHRB staff and said there is no evidence to suggest a nefarious motive by the board. A complaint is filed in every case where the split sample confirms the original laboratory finding, read an advisory on the CHRB website. We might have gone to the board sooner, but obviously because of the high-profile nature of this thing we were making sure we had everything buttoned up, he said. According to data provided by the California Horse Racing Board and supplemented by The Times research, the trainer has had 75 horses die since 2000 either racing, training, or by illness or non-exercise accidents. Baffert responded: Zero tolerance?, Robertson, Bafferts attorney, then tried to negotiate for Baffert to avoid potential suspensions in both Arkansas and Kentucky. The colt skipped the Belmont Stakes but became the champion three-year-old colt that year. CHRB regulations state that its foreign substances guidelines are based on ARCI recommendations as modified by the state board. The bottom line, he said, is if youre a horse in Bob Bafferts barn, youre there to work.. CHRB brass agreed to follow Arthurs suggestion. He was 10 when his father, Bill, bought a couple of quarter horses, plowed some land for a track and Bob started riding them before school each morning. Baffert won his first race as a thoroughbred trainer Jan. 28, 1979, saddling Flipper Star to a victory at Rillito in Arizona. The deadliest period came between 2000 and 2005, when 34 of Bafferts horses in California died. And he pushes the envelope to the extent that they give their lives for his bank account.. There are highs and lows and a lot of disappointment. But hes Bob, he has to speak his mind.. Another person who came to Bafferts defense was his former assistant Tim Yakteen, who now runs his own stable. Scopolamine, Baedeker wrote, can be injected but very often is the result of feed or straw that has been contaminated with Jimson weed., Arthur had previously suggested he didnt consider Jimson weed contamination to be a serious threat, writing in a 2016 memo that the likelihood under our current procedures of getting a positive from environmental contamination is rather low. In an interview this week, Arthur said he meant that such incidences were infrequent but said that in California, if you have a scopolamine positive, its going to be associated with Jimson weed thats just the reality of it., On April 26, records show, Arthur emailed CHRB officials that he had talked to Bob and informed him the proceedings would not immediately interfere with Justifys Triple Crown schedule. (Pegram and Auerbach did not respond to interview requests. Both trainers were fined $500. 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. Please answer some questions in this short survey about professional soccer and the 2022 Men's FIFA World Cup. Baffert went to federal court and had the suspension overturned, but NYRA has called a scheduling conference on the trainer for Oct. 11. Wizards show plenty of heart early but cant find an edge late in Chicago. Bob Baffert Family, Net Worth, Parents, Wife, Sons, Education And Baffert faces unprecedented scrutiny after a positive drug test marred a win by his horse Medina Spirit at this years Kentucky Derby. It didnt take Baffert long to dominate Rillito Park and Prescott Downs in Arizona. In raw numbers, most of Baffert's medication violations were for exceeding allowed amounts of authorized medications such as phenylbutazone, a pain medication commonly administered to horses. 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. Justify tested positive for scopolamine, an anti-nausea medication said to have potential performance-enhancing effects in horses, after winning the Santa Anita Derby in April 2018. But after learning that Justify and another Baffert horse had tested positive for the same drug, Arthur announced in an e-mail to CHRB officials: The scopolamine cases will be handled differently than usual. Arthur said in a recent interview that he was referring to the logistics of what was clearly going to be a high-profile case that needed to be handled carefully.. Baffert told investigators he used the drug for about five years to build up his horses, which Arthur noted was unusual because it was typically used to slim them down. The previous August, Bob Baffert Racing Stables had donated $1,000 to the TOCs political action committee, California records show. Instead of promptly filing a public complaint against Baffert, the CHRB kept the positive result secret while Arthur conducted a lengthy investigation. He was born on January 13, 1953, in Nogales, AZ. 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. It went exactly according to the lawyers plan. The Post reported this month that Arthur had previously studied a spate of sudden horse deaths in Bafferts barn. After finishing last season strong, CJ Abrams is ready for more. Baffert said the horse was off the drug for 18 days before the race. Baffert said in his autobiography it was a combination of ignorance and desperation. 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. Former Democratic congressman Dennis Cardoza, also on the board, was co-owner with Pegram of Shakin It Up, a successful thoroughbred trained by Baffert. Baffert is known for holding court on such ideas at Clockers Corner, a popular hangout for horsemen at Santa Anita Park. followed up and ruled Baffert would not be allowed to run in New York. 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. Robert A. Baffert is an American Racehorse Trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.