{"id":203515,"date":"2022-03-02T12:01:48","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T20:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=203515"},"modified":"2022-03-02T12:56:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T20:56:18","slug":"bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Bob Baffert Goes to Court: Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will meet on Friday to determine whether or not to grant a stay on a 90-day suspension stewards handed down to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. That came in the wake of their ruling that disqualified Medina Spirit as last year\u2019s Kentucky Derby winner.<\/p>\n

\"Churchill<\/a>
The Twin Spires are a famous landmark at Churchill Downs. This week, trainer Bob Baffert has taken a couple of legal steps in an effort to field horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 7 at the Louisville track. Image: Churchill Downs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The news comes as Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate scheduled a hearing for March 17 to consider Baffert\u2019s request for a stay. Baffert asked KHRC last week to hold off on enforcing the suspension. The sanction would bar him from entering horses nationwide, as he appeals the stewards\u2019 decision after drug tests revealed Medina Spirit had excessive amounts of betamethasone in his system at the time he won the Derby last year at Churchill Downs.<\/p>\n

The commission initially denied the stay, which prompted Baffert lawyer W.\u00a0 Craig Robertson to go before Wingate on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The Judge\u2019s ruling gives the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission one more opportunity to do the right thing and stay enforcement of the penalty provisions of the Stewards Ruling until the appeal of that ruling is heard and decided,\u201d<\/strong> Robertson said in a statement to Casino.org<\/em> Wednesday afternoon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Robertson noted that the commission\u2019s precedent has been to issue stays on suspensions pending appeal. If they continue to deny the stay, Baffert\u2019s suspension<\/a> would begin on March 8 and run through June 5.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if they refuse to do so in this case, we will be right back before the Judge on March 17,\u201d Baffert\u2019s counsel said.<\/p>\n

Baffert was also fined $7,500 for the violation, his fourth in US racing in the past year.<\/p>\n

What’s at Stake for Baffert?<\/h2>\n

Regardless of the commission or a judge issue a stay, the KHRC would be the first level in Baffert\u2019s appeal process. If the commission were to uphold the stewards\u2019 ruling, the trainer could then continue his appeal in the state courts.<\/p>\n

Without a stay, Baffert would not be able to enter horses in his name at any US track. The suspension period would cover the major Kentucky Derby prep races and the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in racing\u2019s Triple Crown.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As of now, Baffert is already banned from entering horses at Churchill Downs and its sister tracks for two years, as the Louisville-based company announced the suspension after news broke on Medina Spirit last year. The move also means none of Baffert\u2019s stable of horses \u2013 which includes several of the top 3-year-olds in the country \u2013 are currently eligible to earn points in Kentucky Derby prep races.<\/p>\n

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Churchill<\/h2>\n

On Tuesday, Clark Brewster, another Baffert attorney, filed a federal lawsuit in Louisville against Churchill Downs, seeking to overturn the company\u2019s ban. The suit also named CEO Bill Carstanjen and Board Chair Alex Rankin as parties.<\/p>\n

Similar to a lawsuit Baffert filed last year against the New York Racing Association, the trainer claims Churchill Downs violated his rights to due process.<\/p>\n

Brewster had previously indicated his client was considering a federal lawsuit<\/a> in an effort to get his horses eligible to run in this year\u2019s Derby.<\/p>\n

“We look forward to showing the court that this selective and arbitrary ban by Churchill Downs, Mr. Carstanjen, and Mr. Rankin is unlawful and unfair \u2013 and to ensuring Bob can get back to the winner’s circle in May,”<\/strong> Brewster said in the release.<\/p>\n

A New York federal judge did rule in favor of Baffert<\/a> last year and found that the organization that operates racing at three New York tracks did not give the trainer a fair hearing before issuing its ban against him.<\/p>\n

NYRA, in response, held a hearing in January. A decision on that matter is pending.<\/p>\n

In its statement, Churchill Downs Inc. said it did not find Baffert’s suit surprising. However, the company expressed disappointment and also called the trainer\u2019s claims meritless.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese actions have harmed the reputations of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs and the entire Thoroughbred racing industry,\u201d the statement said. \u201cChurchill Downs will fight this baseless lawsuit and defend our company\u2019s rights. What\u2019s at stake here is the integrity of our races, the safety of horses, and the trust of the millions of fans and bettors who join us every year on the first Saturday in May.\u201d<\/p>\n

Injection vs. Ointment – Is There a Difference?<\/h2>\n

As the testing process carried on last year, Baffert and his attorneys pointed to the fact that the version of betamethasone<\/a> found in Medina Spirit came from an ointment a veterinarian used on the horse to treat a skin condition.<\/p>\n

They claimed that the version of the drug was not the same as what was listed in racing\u2019s drug guidelines, which they pointed out talked about injections that took place no less than 14 days before a race.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The amount of betamethasone found in Medina Spirit\u2019s system was 21 picograms per milliliter of blood. That\u2019s more than twice the legal limit.<\/p>\n

In handing down the disqualification and sanctions against Baffert, racing stewards did not note any difference between the injectable version of the drug and the version found in the ointment.<\/p>\n

Medina Spirit continued to race through his 3-year-old campaign last year. In December, a month after running second in the Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic, the colt collapsed and died after a training session at Santa Anita Park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will meet on Friday to determine whether or not to grant a stay on a 90-day suspension stewards handed down to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. That came in the wake of their ruling that disqualified Medina Spirit as last year\u2019s Kentucky Derby winner. The news comes as Franklin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":203519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14577,60],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-02T20:01:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-02T20:56:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"531\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steve Bittenbender\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Steve Bittenbender\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/\",\"name\":\"Bob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-02T20:01:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-02T20:56:18+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/eb30e765d812fc9b38b333f8d13068b2\"},\"description\":\"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":531,\"caption\":\"The Twin Spires are a famous landmark at Churchill Downs. This week, trainer Bob Baffert has taken a couple legal steps in an effort to field horses in this year's Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 7 at the Louisville track. Baffert is currently suing to undo a two-year suspension handed down by the track after Medina Spirit failed a drug test after winning last year's Derby. He's also appealing a decision that disqualifies Medina Spirit as last year's winner and forces him to serve a 90-day suspension. (Image: Churchill Downs)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sports Betting\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/sportsbetting\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Horse Racing\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/sportsbetting\/horse-racing\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Bob Baffert Goes to Court: Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Casino.org\",\"description\":\"Latest Casino and Gaming News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/eb30e765d812fc9b38b333f8d13068b2\",\"name\":\"Steve Bittenbender\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-7-1-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-7-1-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Steve Bittenbender\"},\"description\":\"Steve Bittenbender covers Midwest and Gulport news for Casino.org. He also specializes in sports betting and horse racing. Steve is a veteran reporter and brings more than two decades of experience covering sports, business and politics. He joined Casino.org in 2019. Steve has also covered major collegiate and professional sports for the Associated Press and the Louisville Courier-Journal and is frequently featured on local network TV newscasts and podcasts for his horse racing business and legislative expertise. A Reuters contributor, he has also previously served as editor for Government Security News. Steve lives in Louisville, Kentucky -- the epicenter of the US horse racing industry -- with his wife and son. He is also an avid poker player, having learned from his uncle as a wholesome after-school pastime with cookies and milk. Contact Steve at stevebittenbender@casino.org.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/author\/steve-bittenbender\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down","description":"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down","og_description":"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby","og_url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/","og_site_name":"Casino.org","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews","article_published_time":"2022-03-02T20:01:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-03-02T20:56:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":531,"url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Steve Bittenbender","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Casino_Org","twitter_site":"@Casino_Org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Steve Bittenbender","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/","name":"Bob Baffert Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-02T20:01:48+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-02T20:56:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/eb30e765d812fc9b38b333f8d13068b2"},"description":"The hall of fame horse racing trainer has two court actions going on in wake of Medina Spirit's failed drug test after last year's Derby","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/415__DD13443.2adbe8fbfb566853e97825cfc5ff84e9.jpg","width":800,"height":531,"caption":"The Twin Spires are a famous landmark at Churchill Downs. This week, trainer Bob Baffert has taken a couple legal steps in an effort to field horses in this year's Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 7 at the Louisville track. Baffert is currently suing to undo a two-year suspension handed down by the track after Medina Spirit failed a drug test after winning last year's Derby. He's also appealing a decision that disqualifies Medina Spirit as last year's winner and forces him to serve a 90-day suspension. (Image: Churchill Downs)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/bob-baffert-goes-to-court-seeks-stay-on-suspension-wants-churchill-ban-struck-down\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sports Betting","item":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/sportsbetting\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Horse Racing","item":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/sportsbetting\/horse-racing\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Bob Baffert Goes to Court: Seeks Stay on Suspension, Wants Churchill Ban Struck Down"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/","name":"Casino.org","description":"Latest Casino and Gaming News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/eb30e765d812fc9b38b333f8d13068b2","name":"Steve Bittenbender","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-7-1-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-7-1-96x96.png","caption":"Steve Bittenbender"},"description":"Steve Bittenbender covers Midwest and Gulport news for Casino.org. He also specializes in sports betting and horse racing. Steve is a veteran reporter and brings more than two decades of experience covering sports, business and politics. He joined Casino.org in 2019. Steve has also covered major collegiate and professional sports for the Associated Press and the Louisville Courier-Journal and is frequently featured on local network TV newscasts and podcasts for his horse racing business and legislative expertise. A Reuters contributor, he has also previously served as editor for Government Security News. Steve lives in Louisville, Kentucky -- the epicenter of the US horse racing industry -- with his wife and son. He is also an avid poker player, having learned from his uncle as a wholesome after-school pastime with cookies and milk. Contact Steve at stevebittenbender@casino.org.","url":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/author\/steve-bittenbender\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}