Bob Baffert Could Make Horse Racing Return at Monmouth Park Haskell

Horse trainer Bob Baffert put up paying back to the boast that he’s become the human face of in force(p) Sunday, July 3.

The Bluegrass State Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) earlier this twelvemonth suspended Baffert for 90 days after Al Madinah Spirit, the three-year-old colt who won the 2021 Bluegrass State Derby, time-tested positive degree for betamethasone after the race. Betamethasone is a banned steroid.

Baffert’s 90-day imprimatur from horse racing prohibited him from participating in the feature inward any of the 38 states that conduct unrecorded racing. Winston Churchill Downs Inc., which owns and operates the Kentucky Derby racetrack, took things practically farther by suspending Baffert from all of its races through its 2023 Spring Meet.

“Reckless practices and substance violations that jeopardize the safety of our equid and human athletes or compromise the wholeness of our sport are non acceptable and as a company, we must have measures to march that they will not follow tolerated,” said Bill Carstanjen, Winston Churchill Downs Inc. CEO. “Mr. Baffert’s record of testing failures threatens public trust inwards pureblood racing and the report of the Kentucky Derby.”

Along with being prohibited from the summercater that has made him a household name, Baffert was fined $7,500, and Al Madinah Spirit was stripped of his Kentucky Derby win. Al Madinah Spirit collapsed and died inward December 2021 after a workout. The slip of decease was a suspected ticker attack.

Monmouth Mungo Park Return

Horse racing has benefited from the expansion of effectual sports betting nationwide. That’s next the US Supreme Court’s May 2018 conclusion that concluded such gaming is a state’s right on to learn its legal status — not the federal government’s.

Sports gambling has been upright for the equid manufacture past various means, including some states allocating sports betting taxes for horsemen. The athletics is also seeing renewed involvement after gaming regulators inward several states feature agreed to allow set betting odds on Equus caballus races.

With Baffert’s respite terminal this weekend, the two-time Triple Crown victor (2015 American Pharoah, 2018 Justify) could takings to Monmouth Mungo Park for the track’s yearbook Haskell Stakes on July 23. Baffert has won the Haskell 9 times, most recently inward 2020 with Authentic.

I receive backrest to preparation on Sunday. i testament experience more by Monday. I haven’t seen horses for 90 days,” Baffert told Horse Racing Carry Amelia Moore Nation regarding the Haskell.

Monmouth Park’s Dennis Drazin, chair and CEO of Darby Development, which operates the New island of Jersey track, is a longtime friend to Baffert. Drazin hopes Baffert decides to go into the Haskell.

“Bob Baffert has been a central slice of making the Haskell what it is today and has e'er supported Monmouth Park, and formerly his hanging ends, he is receive to add up to Monmouth Mungo Park and take part inwards any of our races that he wishes,” Drazin told the Asbury Mungo Park Press.

Sports Betting Fight Origin

Regulated sports betting might non be operating(a) in the more than 30 states that hold legalized such gaming if it were not for Drazin. The Monmouth Park brag helped spearhead New Jersey’s effectual challenge of the federal prohibition back up inward 2016.

Drazin argued that the federal jurisprudence — the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) — banning states from deciding the legality of sports betting was costing Monmouth Park tens of millions of dollars inward lost sports betting revenue.

New island of Jersey voters sanctioned regulating gambling on sports inward 2011 through a ballot referendum. Then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed a sports betting visor into jurisprudence terzetto years later inward 2014. But PASPA had superseded the commonwealth law, keeping the activity illegal.

The Supreme Court eventually upturned PASPA and gave sports betting rights rearwards to the states.