LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Churchill Downs has revealed they are extending the suspension of trainer Bob Baffert.
In a statement released on Monday, the company said the suspension will go through calendar year 2024 based on “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to Churchill Downs-owned race tracks.”
They said Baffert continues to “peddle a false narrative” when it comes to the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at Kentucky Derby 147. The horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission after he tested positive for betamethasone.
Baffert claimed the drug was in an ointment used to treat a skin condition and said it was such a small amount that it wouldn’t have changed the horse’s performance.
“Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs which stated that he was responsible for understanding the rules of racing in Kentucky and that he would abide by them. The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and 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. 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,” Churchill Downs Inc. said in the statement.
This move would make Baffert ineligible for the 150th Kentucky Derby.
A judge ruled against Baffert in late May in his lawsuit against Churchill Downs. He had argued his suspension from the track and its properties had devalued his training license.
Baffert released a statement via Twitter addressing the suspension extension.
"I am at a loss to understand Churchill Downs' latest action to suspend me. From the moment I learned of Medina Spirit's post-race positive -- now more than two years ago -- I committed to find out how it could have occurred, given that we had never injected Medina Spirit's joints with betamethasone, which the veterinary records confirm. A review of our treatment records showed we used a topical ointment called Otomax for a skin infection, and post-race testing of the sample confirmed the positive test came from a topical application.
I have been open, honest and forthcoming about these events. I have acknowledged that our treatment led to the positive and I informed the Kentucky Racing Commission that we had treated Medina Spirit this way.
I have been advised by my attorneys that the use of Otomax is permitted under the rules, and this issue is presently being adjudicated by the Racing Commission in a case presently before them. In no way does this involved a "disregard for the rules."
In the interests of the sport we all love, I have made no public comments on this unfortunate episode for an extended period of time, so the suggestion that I 'continue to peddle a false narrative' is patently false."
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