Latest news with #ChurchillDowns-owned
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Bob Baffert returns to Kentucky Derby after three-year exile - 'It's like I never left'
The six-time winner of the world famous horse race made his first appearance at the meeting since being disqualified by the track after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance One of the world's most famous racehorse trainers ended a three year exile from the Kentucky Derby on Friday. Bob Baffert, the joint most successful trainer in Kentucky Derby history with six successes, is challenging for the race for the first time since Medina Spirit finished first past the post in the 2021 running of the US Classic. Eight days later Baffert revealed the colt had tested positive for a substance, which came from an ointment but which must not be present in a horse's system on raceday. Medina Spirit was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and runner-up Mandaloun was awarded victory. Baffert was then banned from having runners at all Churchill Downs-owned racecourses which prevented him from having any runners in the Kentucky Derby until this year's edition which will be run on Saturday, May 3. The California trainer had an appeal against disqualification rejected and then fought a lengthy battle through the courts, which he eventually abandoned. With the ban having subsequently been lifted, the 72-year-old has returned to Churchill Downs with two challengers, Rodriguez, winner of the Wood Memorial, and Citizen Bull, who captured last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. 'It's nice to be back here, back to the old barn,' he told media. 'This is like the Masters, it lasts a week. Everything has to go so well. So far all the horses got here in great shape and we're happy. 'It feels great to be back. Coming into the stable gate everybody was nice to me and welcomed me back. It's like I never left.' Baffert is tied with Ben Jones with most wins in the Kentucky Derby, his six including two Triple Crown winners in Justify and American Pharoah. Asked if he had any hard feelings over his exile, he said: 'We never denied that there was a positive. We were hoping it would be dropped to a class D [category offence] when we knew what it was. 'I don't feel that way. In racing as a trainer, I'd be mad every week, every time we got beat. I never look back and turn the page. I accepted it and we move on.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Floodwaters close Owensboro Racing & Gaming
Owensboro Racing & Gaming was built with at least the possibility of flooding in mind. After all, the property at the intersection of U.S. 60 and Wrights Landing Road in east Daviess County is listed as being in a floodplain area. But while the facility was built up out of the flood area, Wright's Landing Road was another matter. '(There's) nothing we can do about the road,' general manager Steve Roof said Thursday. With water creeping over Wrights Landing Road in front of the gaming facility's entrances, officials with the Churchill Downs-owned facility decided to shut down the center until the flood waters have receded. The closure of the center, which is generally open 24 hours a day, was announced Thursday morning. The practically new gaming center has only been open since February. A Churchill Downs press release says the decision to temporarily close the center 'is a measure to ensure the safety of our guests, team members and the surrounding community.' Brian Howard, executive director of the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission, said the maps for the area that were updated in 2009 and in 2024, show the property has a base flood elevation of 390 feet. Base flood elevation is the height water is expected to reach during a '100 year' flood. With the base flood elevation gauged at 390 on the property, Owensboro Racing & Gaming officials built the facility higher, Howard said. 'They built their building at 391 feet,' Howard said. Roof said he could not comment about how much it costs the facility in lost revenue to close. Roof said he did not know how long it would be before the gaming center could reopen. 'We are just trying to gauge the water on the road,' Roof said. Roof, who had been at the gaming center Thursday, said officials were not concerned about floodwater getting into the facility. 'We are built up pretty high,' Roof said. Roof said he did not know of any plans to raise Wrights Landing Road. 'Obviously, (we) don't have anything to do with the road itself,' Roof said.
