The lawyer for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert told Casino.org on Mon that talks proceed with officials at Pimlico Race Course inwards Baltimore. It is allay undecided as to whether his client will follow able-bodied to go in KY Derby winner Al Madinah Spirit inwards Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
No solving was reached by Mon evening, Craig Robertson said via email.
It’s been a whirlwind daytime and a half for the boast of Equus caballus racing after Baffert announced Lord's Day forenoon at his Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill Downs b that Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test after the Derby.
That blood examine showed the colt had 21 picograms of betamethasone per cubic centimetre inwards his system. The allowable threshold under KY Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) rules is 10 picograms per milliliter.
Baffert has strenuously denied any actus reus and said that he’s ne'er ordered that anti-inflammatory drug drug for Al Madinah Spirit.
The specimen taken after the Derby was stock split into two samples. Baffert has requested the 2d try out live tested, and that will follow handled by a different laboratory.
If that try out confirms the foremost result, Winston S. Churchill Downs would indispose Medina Spirit and public figure second best Mandaloun as the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner. While it would not alter the betting outcome, Mandaloun’s connections would get the nearly $1.9 meg in award money awarded to the winner.
It’s unsure when that sec mental testing testament occur. But it’s unlikely it testament materialize before Tuesday’s 4 pm post post take out for the indorse gem inwards Equus caballus racing’s Triple Crown.
Robertson told the Thoroughbred Daily News that they would seek an enjoinment should officials exclude Al Madinah Spirit from the Preakness.
Baffert did say that he would non give ear the Preakness inward person in parliamentary procedure to avoid decorous a distraction at the race.
Baffert Makes Media Rounds
While he won’t go away to Baltimore, Baffert did dungeon upward the full-court media blitz Monday to fend for himself and the horse.
He appeared on Fox News and criticized Winston S. Churchill Downs for its decision William Ashley Sunday to set aside him from entering horses at the Louisville caterpillar tread until the KHRC investigating was finalized.
At ace point during his interview, he invoked the full term “cancel culture,” the Bodoni full term for being banished quickly with little chance for the case to guard themselves. It’s often used by critics in respect to how Bodoni font audiences react to negatively charged word near celebrities and other pop figures.
This is non the number one time he’s had to defend himself, although this, by far, is the highest-profile allegation.
On The Dan St. Patrick Show, he alluded to a possible failed trial scenario involving a bridegroom on coughing syrup who then urinated on hay that was eaten by the horse.
In the past, he’s claimed that horses tried and true confirming for lidocaine after someone touched them inwards the b area after handling a pain patch.
That case, involving Gamine and Charlatan inward Arkansas, eventually saw the horses’ disqualifications overturned. Racing officials in that respect did mulct him $10,000.
Ball in Stronach Group’s Court
The enquiry of whether Pimlico will laurels the Churchill Downs’ abatement is a murky one.
According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International, the theoretical account decree is that any “commission and the stewards/judges shall purity rulings from other pari‐mutuel jurisdictions regarding permit suspensions, revocation or eligibility of contestants.”
However, it wasn’t the KHRC that suspended Baffert. It was a track, and Baffert and his team up have got claimed John Churchill Downs has not given him due process.
The possibleness of taking action mechanism against Winston S. Churchill Downs is a possibility, but that’s a secondary come forth for now, Oscar Palmer Robertson said.
Our sharpen is on Pimlico at the moment,” Robertson told Casino.org inwards an email. “Bob has no horses ready to run for this week at Churchill.”
According to the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, Maryland’s ruler calls for a temporary removal to follow honored if it’s suspended inward another state.
However, Pimlico is owned by The Stronach Group, the family-owned troupe also known as 1/ST Racing, which owns Santa Anita Park and several other tracks crosswise the country. After dozens of horses died at Santa Anita inward 2019, TSG started a national pushing to improve racing safety. That included a call in for the stoppage of administering Lasix on rush days.
The Stronachs also took the stone's throw of banning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer from their tracks after quaternity of his horses died at the Southern Golden State rail that year.
Santa Anita is also considered Baffert’s home track.
In a statement released by Pimlico on Sunday, The Stronachs and the Free State Jockey Club said they planned to review the selective information from Winston Churchill Downs before making a determination. Hours later, an declaration was made pushing rear the brand office draw play from Monday to Tuesday afternoon.
“We are consulting with the Old Line State Racing Commission and any determination regarding the accounting entry of Medina Spirit inward the 146th Preakness Stakes will be made after review of the facts,” the financial statement said.