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Fox News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby return: A timeline of the saga that kept the famed trainer from Churchill Downs
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby will take place at the famous Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, May 3, and returning for the first time in four years will be Hall of Fame horse trainer, Bob Baffert. Baffert, one of the most successful trainers in the history of the sport, returns this year after having missed the first leg of the Triple Crown for three consecutive years – a suspension that began with his record-breaking seventh victory at the race in 2021 that was later stripped because of a failed drug test. Baffert, one of only two trainers to ever win the coveted Triple Crown on two occasions, became considered by some an outcast in the horse racing community following the fallout of Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby victory in 2021. Baffert secured his seventh Kentucky Derby win on May 1, 2021, when Medina Spirit, the 3-year-old colt owned by Zedan Racing Stables, won the first leg of the Triple Crown by a half-length. The victory at Churchill Downs broke the record previously shared between Baffert and fellow Hall of Fame trainer Ben Jones. Days after being declared the winner, it was announced on May 9, 2021, that Medina Spirit had failed a postrace drug test after testing positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone. Churchill Downs immediately suspended Baffert, who denied any wrongdoing. "It is our understanding that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit's post-race blood sample indicated a violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky's equine medication protocols," the racetrack said in a statement at the time. "To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit's results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner." Baffert was also later barred by the New York Racing Association, pending the investigation in Kentucky. Churchill Downs announced on June 2, 2021 that Baffert would be suspended from entering a horse at the famed horse track for the next two years after a second postrace sample failed a drug test. On Feb. 21, 2022, Churchill Downs officially recognized Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced that Medina Spirit was in violation of racing rules. Baffert was suspended and fined by the commission. Baffert filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky against Churchill Downs, CEO William C. Carstanjen and board Chair R. Alex Rankin on March 1, 2022 in an attempt to overturn the suspension, arguing that the famed horse trainer was not given the right to due process. "The facts are clear, and Churchill Downs knows them but refuses to acknowledge them," an attorney for Baffert said at the time. "Churchill Downs knows the post-race test report occurred as a result of the use of a harmless ointment known as Otomax. They know it was prescribed by Medina Spirit's treating veterinarian and properly and timely reported to the data bank the day it was dispensed. They know no rule was violated, and the ointment could never have enhanced Medina Spirit's performance. To maintain otherwise is absurd." A federal judge dismissed the case against the Kentucky racetrack on May 25, 2023, after a previous attempt by Baffert's legal team to lift the ban in February was denied. The decision came just days after a Baffert-trained horse won the Preakness Stakes, a record-breaking eighth victory in the race for Baffert. "Our actions to suspend Mr. Baffert following Medina's Spirit's confirmed positive for a prohibited race-day substance, coupled with his extensive history of drug violations, was done in the best interest of protecting the integrity of horseracing (sic)," Churchill Downs said in a statement following the ruling. "Now more than ever, participants and operators in this industry must individually and collectively assume responsibility to take every reasonable measure to protect our equine and human athletes and reject any practice that jeopardizes that mission." Churchill Downs also said it reserved the right to extend Baffert's suspension, a decision that would come at the end of his two-year ban. Baffert's suspension was extended through 2024, Churchill Downs announced on July 3. "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," the racetrack said in a statement. "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. Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status." Baffert announced on social media earlier this year that he had instructed his attorneys to dismiss an appeal related to Medina Spirit's disqualification in 2021. "Zedan Racing owner, Amr Zedan, and I have decided that it is best to positively focus on the present and future that our great sport offers," he wrote in a statement posted to X. "We thank the KHRC and Churchill Downs for listening and considering our point of view and we are grateful for the changes and clarity that HISA brings to our sport." A Kentucky appeals court judge denied an appeal from Zedan that sought an emergency relief hearing that would allow Arkansas Derby winner Muth to run in the Kentucky Derby on May 4. Baffert released a statement taking ownership of the positive test in 2021 and accepting Churchill Downs' disciplinary actions that followed. "I am responsible for any substance found in the horses that I train, and I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification of Medina Spirit's performance," his statement read in part. "I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce the rules that they believed were necessary to protect the safety and integrity of horse racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby." After taking ownership of his actions in the ordeal, Churchill Downs announced that it had rescinded Baffert's suspension. "We are satisfied that Mr. Baffert has taken responsibility for his actions, completed a substantial penalty and is committed to running in full compliance with the rules and regulations going forward," the statement read. "All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. Mr. Baffert is welcome to return to any of CDI's racetracks, including our flagship Churchill Downs Racetrack, and we wish him and his connections good luck in their future competitive endeavors." Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, last year's 2-year-old champion – both Baffert-trained horses – will be competing in this year's Kentucky Derby with the legend himself present. "It's one of those things where I'm just tired of talking about it," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's been a tough three years and I've put that behind me." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bob Baffert returns to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Here's what you need to know.
Bob Baffert is among the most decorated and recognizable horse trainers in the world. His horses have won the Kentucky Derby a record-tying six times. The total would be seven, but Baffert's horse Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby, was later disqualified for having a banned substance in his system. It is one of only two times in the Derby's long history that a winner was disqualified for a drug-related offense. The incident also resulted in a three-year ban from the race. Advertisement For his return Saturday, Baffert was set to have two horses running in this year's Derby, with Citizen Bull starting at post one and Rodriguez at post four. But on Thursday, Baffert pulled Rodriguez, a top-3 favorite, from the race. He told The Athletic that Rodriguez might compete at The Preakness Stakes in two weeks, but the 3-year-old colt was not ready to run this weekend due to a bruised foot. Here's why Baffert's return to Churchill Downs is so notable. Medina Spirit's disqualification came after the horse tested positive for betamethasone, a corticosteroid, a week after the 2021 Derby. Baffert was adamant the result was a mistake. On May 9, 2021, the day after his lawyer announced the positive test, Baffert appeared on a series of television and radio shows, denying any wrongdoing and saying he had no idea why Medina Spirit tested positive. 'It did not happen. That horse has never been treated with [betamethasone],' Baffert said during a Fox News interview. 'Actually, it's a legal therapeutic medicine, and the amount that was in it wouldn't have any effect on the horse anyway.' He added, 'That horse was never treated with that, and so that's the disturbing part of it.' During his media appearances, Baffert also said he was hiring a private investigator and complained that he was a victim of 'cancel culture' fighting for his reputation. Baffert soon changed his explanation, however. He acknowledged Medina Spirit had dealt with a rash that his team treated with antifungal ointment called Otomax, which contains betamethasone. He said he was not aware at the time that the lotion had the banned substance in it, but he maintained that the testing process did not account for incidental, inconsequential exposures. In a statement following the positive test result, Churchill Downs Inc., which owns the Kentucky Derby, said Baffert had repeatedly fielded horses that later tested positive for banned substances, including in September 2020, when Gamine, Medina Spirit's stablemate, also tested positive for betamethasone after finishing third in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Advertisement Gamine's violation of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's drug policies was the 28th of Baffert's career. That count now stands at 30. '(Churchill Downs Inc.) has consistently advocated for strict medication regulations so that we can confidently ensure that horses are fit to race and the races are conducted fairly,' the company's CEO Bill Carstanjen said in June 2021. 'Reckless practices and substance violations that jeopardize the safety of our equine and human athletes or compromise the integrity of our sport are not acceptable and as a company, we must take measures to demonstrate that they will not be tolerated.' When a second test of the same samples confirmed Medina Spirit's positive result a week later, CDI officially suspended Baffert and his trainers from its tracks for two years. Baffert fought the suspension in court, but a federal judge denied his request for an injunction. Criticisms he made during the case, alongside the remarks he made in the immediate aftermath of the first positive test, led Churchill Downs to extend his suspension by another year in 2023. 'Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit … his 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,' CDI said in its announcement of the extension. '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.' After several years of back and forths, Baffert ended his appeal of Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 Derby in January 2024. (Medina Spirit died following a workout, five months after the Derby.) In July 2024, he released a statement addressing the situation. Advertisement 'I accept responsibility for Medina Spirit's positive test in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. I am responsible for any substance found in the horses that I train, and I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification of Medina Spirit's performance,' Baffert said. 'I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce the rules that they believed were necessary to protect the safety and integrity of horse racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby.' CDI rescinded Baffert's suspension the same day. 'We are satisfied that Mr. Baffert has taken responsibility for his actions, completed a substantial penalty and is committed to running in full compliance with the rules and regulations going forward,' it said in a statement. 'All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future.' Betamethasone is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that is legal for trainers to use on horses before the Derby in certain amounts. The topical version of the drug typically treats skin conditions like eczema and fungal infections, and Medina Spirit's trainers used it to treat the horse's dermatitis. Medina Spirit tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone in the first post-race analysis of his samples. The legal limit was 10 picograms. Baffert has pushed back on claims his team was 'doping' its animals. He said Medina Spirit was never injected with betamethasone, and that the topical ointment the horse tested positive for had no performance-enhancing effects. The type of ointment Medina Spirit tested positive for is legal to use until race day, but horses must have the steroid fully out of their systems by the time they take their post-race drug tests. As an injection, however, the anti-inflammatory drug can mask pain and injuries that could otherwise prevent a horse from competing. Advertisement Injections of betamethasone, which come in a form called betamethasone acetate, are allowed up to 14 days before a race. If the injection is for a horse's fetlock joint — a joint somewhat analogous to the human ankle — injections cannot happen within 30 days of a race. The sport of horse racing has faced a reckoning in recent years over numerous instances of horses being injured and having to be euthanized, leading some to question in certain cases whether the horses should have been running in the first place. Seven horses died at Churchill Downs during the week of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, including two that ran in races on Derby Day. A few weeks later, one of Baffert's horses was injured and euthanized at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore hours before another one of the trainer's horses won the Preakness on the same track. Last year, The New York Times, citing data from the California Horse Racing Board, reported that at least 77 horses have died while under Baffert's care since 2000. The federal government created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) in 2023 to oversee the sport in response to the recent deaths. In his past criticism of horse racing's drug testing rules, Baffert argued that post-race drug testing picks up therapeutic substances at needlessly small concentrations. But he has since embraced HISA, which is under the Federal Trade Commission's oversight. Lisa Lazarus, the CEO of HISA, told The Athletic that a single positive test for betamethasone would not result in an automatic suspension. First-time violations carry a fine of up to $500, the disqualification of race results and a 1.5 point penalty. 'It is not doping,'' she said. She also noted Baffert's horses have not had any HISA violations since its creation. 'Bob Baffert is one of the few high-profile trainers who has not had a blip under the HISA rules,'' Lazarus said. 'No overages, nothing. He has done an excellent job following the rules.''
