Bob Baffert testament not experience his 90-day temporary removal stayed as he appeals the ruling stewards made regarding disqualified Bluegrass State Derby winner Al Madinah Spirit. That was the determination of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which met inwards a specially called encounter on Fri to look at Baffert’s request.
Earlier inward the week, Baffert and his attorneys went before a adjudicate inwards Frankfort, asking that the hanging follow postponed. That’s as he challenges the finding Al Madinah Spirit had excessive amounts of betamethasone inwards his system of rules when the colt finished first inward in conclusion year’s Bluegrass State Derby. Friday’s get together came about from that hearing. But now Benjamin Franklin Circuit Judge Dylan Marlais Thomas Wingate will try the typesetter's case on Mar 17 to mold if a rest should follow issued.
The suspension system was supposed to commence this Tuesday. However, it will remain inwards limbo until Judge Wingate makes his ruling, which he is supposed to get along within days after the Mar 17 hearing.
The timing is significant. Because of reciprocity rules, a hanging handed down inward unity land is recognized inwards all others. Without a stay, the 90-day ban would take a leak Baffert ineligible to field of operations horses in upcoming KY Derby prep races – some of which are considered major races on their own – as easily as the Preakness Stakes, the secondment jewel inwards racing’s Triple Crown.
In increase to the suspension, Baffert was also fined $7,500. With Medina Spirit afterwards disqualified as the race’s winner, stewards also ruled the Zedan Stables, owners of the later(a) colt, must forfeiture the nearly $1.9 trillion inward purse money as well.
Baffert Files Two Suits
With the KHRC determination not to issuing a stay, it way that the Radclyffe Hall of Fame pureblood trainer now must scrap a legal combat on II fronts. That’s in purchase order to experience a chance to potentially theater of operations horses inwards this year’s Bluegrass State Derby.
After Medina Spirit’s initial do drugs test came plump for positive, First Duke of Marlborough Downs Inc. proclaimed its have temporary removal against the trainer. The Louisville-based troupe banned Baffert for deuce years, non simply from its namesake track, but all of the company’s racing facilities. Further, Churchill Downs also prohibited Baffert’s horses from earning any points in Derby prep races.
That punishment has non kept the trainer from entering horses in those races, but it has affected the standings to an extent.
On the 24-hour interval before Baffert had a sense of hearing inwards Franklin Circuit Margaret Court this week, the trainer filed a case against Winston S. Churchill Downs Inc. inward an elbow grease to get under one's skin the two-year banning struck down. Baffert claims inwards the accommodate he was denied due process, patch Winston Churchill Downs called the filing baseless.
At this point, Baffert’s attorneys are looking for at the cases optimistically, as they have got claimed their client has non received a just escape from from either the rails or Kentucky regulators. They reacted in disbelief after the direction denied a stay on lastly week and on Friday.
The saving goodwill is eventually we will follow before an unbiassed adjudicator,” Kenneth Clark Brewster told Casino.org inward an email Friday.
Baffert also faces a possible hiatus from the New House of York Racing Association. That operator handed push down its have respite shoemaker's last yr after the First Duke of Marlborough Downs ban. However, a federal justice ruled inward favour of the trainer in conclusion year, expression NYRA failed to present Baffert a chance to hold himself.
NYRA held that audition inwards January, and a conclusion is pending.
“Lance Neil Armstrong of Horse Racing”
Baffert has deuce-ace horses running inward Derby prep races on Saturday. Rockefeller testament rush inward the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct inwards New York, piece Doppleganger and Armagnac are scheduled to lead inward the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.
While the 3-year-olds capture the to the highest degree attending because of the Kentucky Derby, Baffert does feature a large horse barn of other horses that run primarily out of his CA base. Brewster told the KHRC Friday that Baffert has 88 horses, and a three-month temporary removal would be devastating to the trainer’s surgery and to the workers under him.
Brewster did not have a sympathetic capitulum from military commission members. Nor did he have unity from Marty Irby, executive director theater director for Animal Wellness Action. Irby, who played a significant role inward getting the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act passed by Congress, said Baffert is finally “facing the consequences,” and that punishing him tin can be a pivotal minute for the sport.
“Bob Baffert is the Lance Neil Armstrong of gymnastic horse racing and has riddled the sportswoman with malicious gossip after scandal, unchecked for years,” Irby said.