Tag: kentucky derby

2 horses die from injuries at Churchill Downs, bringing total to 12 at home of Kentucky Derby

[ad_1]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two horses have died the past two days following injuries at Churchill Downs, the 11th and 12th fatalities over the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby.

Mare Kimberley Dream was euthanized after sustaining a distal sesamodean ligament rupture to her front leg during Saturday’s first race. Lost in Limbo was euthanized following a similar injury just before the finish line in Friday’s seventh race.

The track stated in a release that both injuries were “inoperable and unrecoverable.”

As team members mourn the loss of the animals, the statement added, the track is working to determine cause and appropriate investments to minimize risk to the sport and its property.

“We do not accept this as suitable or tolerable and share the frustrations of the public, and in some cases, the questions to which we do not yet have answers,” the statement added. “We have been rigorously working since the opening of the meet to understand what has led to this spike and have yet to find a conclusive discernable pattern as we await the findings of ongoing investigations into those injuries and fatalities.”

Also, a Kentucky steward’s repor t from May 13 lists the previously unreported death of Bosque Redondo after finishing 10th in the seventh race. The report did not state the injury, but the colt was transported to Lexington for observation and eventually put down after a poor prognosis for recovery.

Churchill Downs’ statement said it commissioned surface expert Mick Peterson to perform additional tests on the track and that the data did not raise concerns. The data is consistent with prior measurements from Churchill Downs or other tracks, the statement added.

An epidemiological study with the Jockey Club is reviewing each horse to determine undetected patterns not previously identified, the statement added.

“We are troubled by this recent string of fatalities,” the statement said. “It is extremely inconsistent with the outcomes we have experienced over the years, with the reputation we have developed over the decades and with the expectations we set for ourselves and owe our fans. We are committed to doing this important work and updating the public with our developments.”

Kimberley Dream and Lost in Limbo were both 7-year-old Kentucky breds with at least 35 starts each.

Trained by Freddie Winston, Kimberley Dream was making her 61st start in the 1 1/16th mile claiming race. Jockey Jesus Castanon pulled her up passing the 3/16th pole and she was vanned off, Equibase race chart notes stated.

Lost in Limbo, a gelding trained by Michael Lauer, collapsed inside the final 1/16th and threw jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., the race chart noted. He was vanned away.

The notes added that Lost in Limbo dropped his rider before the six-furlong claiming race and ran loose before being gathered by an outrider. He was remounted without incident and endured contact from horses on both sides at the start from the No. 4 post, the chart noted.

Kimberley Dream was winless in four starts this year. She had seven wins, eight seconds and six thirds with $174,372 in earnings. Lost in Limbo had two thirds in four starts this year and five career, along with five wins and three seconds. He earned $225,996 lifetime.

Seven horses died at Churchill Downs from training or racing injuries in the week leading up to the 149th Kentucky Derby on May 6, starting with qualifier Wild On Ice on April 27. Two were euthanized following injuries on the Derby undercard, and two others died on May 14 and May 20.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[ad_2]

Source link

May 27, 2023
Horse euthanized hours before Preakness Stakes after suffering injury, officials say | CNN
[ad_1]
CNN
—

One of the horses in an undercard race before today’s Preakness Stakes, the Bob Baffert-trained Havnameltdown, has been euthanized, after suffering a serious injury this afternoon, officials said.

The news comes just hours before the running of the second leg of the Triple Crown, and in the wake of the deaths of eight top racehorses in the past month.

“During the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, the number one horse, Havnameltdown, sustained an injury and immediately received on-track medical attention from an expert team of veterinarians, led by Dr. Dionne Benson,” said 1/ST Racing, who own and operate Pimlico Race Course, in a news release, per CNN affiliate WMAR.

“During the subsequent evaluation, she observed a non-operable left fore fetlock injury. Due to the severity and prognosis of the injury, Dr. Benson and her counterparts made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Havnameltdown.”

Jockey Luis Saez was transported to a hospital for further evaluation, but he was stable and conscious, according to the Preakness Stakes organizers.

“We are just devastated,” Baffert said in a post on Twitter. “This is a shock to everyone at our barn who love and care for these horses every day. Hanvameltdown was obviously hit pretty hard coming out of the gate.”

“We don’t know if that contributed to the injury, but we will be fully transparent with those reviewing this terrible accident. Right now, our thoughts are with Luis Saez and we are hopeful he will be okay.”

Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer, returns to this year’s Preakness Stakes after serving a lengthy suspension from the sport.

The 70-year-old was banned from all three Triple Crown races last year after his horse, Medina Spirit, tested positive for betamethasone – an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid sometimes used to relieve joint pain – during the Kentucky Derby in 2021.

The two-time Triple Crown winner has been tangled in a legal battle ever since, but his horses are once again eligible to participate in the 148th running of the Preakness.

However, Baffert’s return coincides with a difficult time for the sport.

Eight horses died at Churchill Downs – home of the Kentucky Derby – last month, with questions around animal welfare overshadowing this year’s middle jewel of the Triple Crown – which consists of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

The Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

It will air in the US on NBC, Peacock, the NBC website and its app with coverage of all of Saturday’s races.

The big race will start at 6:50 p.m. ET.

The odds are from the Preakness official website and are correct as of 7 a.m. ET on May 20.
National Treasure 3-1

Chase the Chaos 30-1

Mage 4-5

Coffeewithchris 20-1

Red Route One 8-1

Perform 12-1

Blazing Sevens 5-1
Any notion that this would be a triumphant return for Baffert were squashed by the trainer himself, who said the last year had been very difficult.

In an interview with The Athletic, Baffert said he wasn’t bitter from his suspension but argued that authorities “hung me out to dry.”

“What I went through, it wasn’t fun, but I just move forward. I don’t look back,” he said.

“We throw the word ‘doping’ around so loosely and no one corrects anyone. No one says anything. We don’t push back.

“We didn’t inject the horse. It was in an ointment. People in the industry understand, but we use that word, and no one corrects them.”

The controversy started after Medina Spirit, who died in December 2021, won the Kentucky Derby two years ago.

After the race, Baffert revealed that the horse had tested positive for elevated levels of betamethasone.

Betamethasone is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that is allowed in horse racing at a certain level but that threshold had been crossed in Medina Spirit’s case.

In February 2022, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced its decision to disqualify Medina Spirit.

In total, Baffert received a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs, a one-year suspension from the New York Racing Association, and was suspended from the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes in Maryland.

However, Baffert is now eligible to compete in what he says is his favorite race.

Baffert’s horse, National Treasure, is among the favorites for this year’s spectacle but was drawn in the unfavored No. 1 post position.

If it can overcome the odds, though, Baffert will win a record-breaking eighth Preakness Stakes.

National Treasure’s biggest obstacle will come in the form of race favorite Mage.

Ridden by jockey Javier Castellano, the three-year-old chestnut colt won the Kentucky Derby in April and looks well placed to take the next step towards a coveted Triple Crown.

“Everything that he did prior to the Derby has continued all the way through, so that type of consistency merits a shot at the Preakness,” Mage’s co-owner Ramiro Restrepo told reporters ahead of the race.

It was announced Friday that First Mission, one of the other favorites in the field, would be scratched from the race after owners Godolphin consulted the veterinary team.

“We are obviously very disappointed, but the welfare of the horse is our utmost concern, and we are going to take the necessary steps to determine the best course of action to get him back on the track,” Godolphin Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said.

Correction: This story was updated to reflect Havnameltdown was competing in an undercard race before the Preakness Stakes.
[ad_2]

Source link
May 20, 2023
Horse trained by Bob Baffert euthanized on track after racing injury on Preakness undercard

[ad_1]

BALTIMORE — A horse trained by Bob Baffert was euthanized on the track after going down with injury and unseating his jockey during a race on the Preakness undercard on Saturday.

Hours before the second leg of the Triple Crown, favorite Havnameltdown buckled forward and threw jockey Luis Saez off his back during the sixth race and continued running around the final turn in some distress. The 3-year-old colt was looked at by veterinary staff before being euthanized.

Saez was conscious and taken to a hospital for evaluation, complaining of leg pain, the track announced. He was attended to by medical personnel on the track for several minutes before being put on a stretcher and into an ambulance.

The fatality comes on another major race day, in the aftermath of the Kentucky Derby being overshadowed by the deaths of seven horses at Churchill Downs over a span of 10 days.

Havnameltdown, the favorite at 4-5 and breaking from the inside No. 1 post, was bumped out of the gate by No. 2 Ryvit and broke a step slow.

Fans in the crowd at Pimlico Race Course gasped when the horse stumbled before the final turn and tossed Saez. In an incongruous scene, at the same time Saez and Havnameltdown were being looked at, 2Pac’s “California Love” continued blaring from infield speakers set up right near where it happened.

Meanwhile, on Pimlico’s homestretch, the horse was brought under control by track staff, then led behind some black barriers.

Baffert has horses running on Preakness weekend for the first time in two years after returning from a suspension stemming from 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s failed drug test. He was not able to enter horses in the Derby either of the past two years as part of a decision by Churchill Downs. He could not have any in the 2022 Preakness or Belmont because of a 90-day ban in Kentucky respected by Maryland and New York.

One of his horses, Arabian Lion, won an earlier race. Baffert is also set to saddle National Treasure in the Preakness.

Saez, a Panamanian who turned 31 on Friday, originally was supposed to ride top contender First Mission in the Preakness. But that horse was scratched on the advice of veterinarians because of an issue with his left hind ankle.

At the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Saez rode Maximum Security across the line first, but stewards revoked the victory and dropped the colt to 17th for impeding the paths of several horses. Saez then was suspended, accused of causing the interference.

Earlier this year, he was aboard Kentucky Derby champion Mage for a runner-up finish at the Florida Derby. At Churchill Downs two weeks ago, Saez’s horse, Tapit Trice, came in seventh in the Derby.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[ad_2]

Source link

May 20, 2023
Preakness day arrives with horse racing in spotlight, Triple Crown still a possibility

[ad_1]

Preakness day has arrived with horse racing in the spotlight and a Triple Crown still a possibility

BySTEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer

An outrider walks a horse on the track as horses work out ahead of the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Thursday, May 18, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The Associated Press

BALTIMORE — BALTIMORE (AP) — Preakness day has arrived with horse racing in the spotlight and Kentucky Derby winner Mage having a shot at being the first Triple Crown champion in five years.

It’s not the spotlight the sport would like, though, after seven horses died at Churchill Downs in the leadup to the Derby. Two parallel investigations are ongoing into those deaths and a recent eighth death at the Louisville track to determine the causes.

But with new national medication and doping rules set to go into effect next week, the industry is at something of a crossroads. The federally mandated Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which already regulated racetrack safety and other measures, starting Monday will oversee drug testing requirements for horses that should standardize the sport nationwide.

Before that, Mage has a chance in the Preakness to provide some on-track excitement. If he finishes first in the field of seven horses, the smallest in the race since 1986, he can go to Belmont on June 10 with the opportunity to be the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.

Doing so later Saturday would mean beating a horse trained by two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert, who’s back at the Preakness for the first time in two years after returning from suspension. Baffert’s National Treasure is the second betting choice behind Mage.

First Mission was Mage’s other top challenger before being scratched Friday on the advice of veterinarians who had a concern about the horse’s left hind ankle. The withdrawal comes after five horses were scratched from the Derby for various reasons, including favorite Forte.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[ad_2]

Source link

May 20, 2023
Mage wins 149th Kentucky Derby amid controversy over horse deaths

[ad_1]

After a string of horse deaths at Churchill Downs this past week raised questions about the future of horse racing, Mage earned a surprising Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday, capping a nerve-rattling day that included two more horse fatalities ahead of the 149th edition of the world’s most famous race.

Mage, a 15-1 shot, had only one win in his career, giving little indication that he could triumph against 17 rivals in a race that is not kind to the inexperienced.

Still, he made a gutsy stretch run, overtaking Two Phil’s to his inside and winning by a length. Mage, who didn’t race as a 2-year-old, ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57.

Mage #8, ridden by jockey Javier Castellano crosses the finish line to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 06, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Getty Images

Mage joined Justify (2018), Big Brown (2008) and Regret (2015) as Derby winners with just three previous starts.

“He proved today that it didn’t matter,” assistant trainer and co-owner Gustavo Delgado Jr. said.

The colt was in the skilled hands of Javier Castellano, a Hall of Fame jockey who hasn’t been as in-demand lately. The 45-year-old Castellano snapped an 0-for-15 skid in the Derby.

“I never give up,” Castellano said. “I always try hard to do the right thing. It took me a little while to get there. I finally got it.”

Castellano and trainer Gustavo Delgado are from Venezuela. Mage joined Canonero II as Derby winners with Venezuelan ties. Canonero II won the Derby and Preakness in 1971.

Going into the backstretch, Mage was ahead of just three horses. Castellano and Mage began picking off the competition and on the far turn launched their run.

“Turning for home, he had a lot of heart,” Castellano said. “He’s a little horse with a big heart.”

Two Phil’s stormed to the lead at the top of the stretch. Mage swung to the outside and took aim on the leader. Mage passed him at the eighth-pole and went on to victory.

“Everything went according to plan,” Delgado Jr. said. “This is the dream I have, a year-and-a-half ago, I wrote a note: ‘We’re going to win the Derby next year.’”

Forte, the early favorite, was scratched in the morning with a bruised foot, one of five horses that dropped out in the run-up to the race.

Mage paid $32.42, $14.58 and $9.08. The colt earned $1,860,000 for the biggest win of his brief career.

Two Phil’s returned $10.44 and $6.52.

“Man, he tried so hard and ran his heart out,” said Larry Rivelli, who trains Two Phil’s.

Angel of Empire, the 4-1 favorite, was another half-length back in third in front of a crowd of 150,335 on a warm and partly cloudy day at Churchill Downs. He paid $4.70 to show.

Earlier in the day, Chloe’s Dream, a 3-year-old gelding, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old colt, were euthanized after being injured in their races.

“It’s a very difficult subject to touch upon,” said Ramiro Restrepo, part of Mage’s ownership and a blood stock agent. “I’m sure there’s going to be some investigations done as to the reason behind that, and hopefully that provides a few more answers.”

The string of horse deaths was on the mind of some Derby-goers.

“It’s concerning, and I hope they’re quickly trying the best they can to correct whatever’s going on,” said Michael Freeze, who along with his friend dressed up as jockeys. “They need to do whatever is best for the horses, and the sport in general.”

Chloe’s Dream injured his right front knee, trainer Jeff Hiles told The Associated Press.

“He just took a bad step out there,” Hiles said. “They could do the same thing running in the field as they could on the track. So it’s very unfortunate. That’s what we deal with.”

Freezing Point suffered a left ankle injury in the Pat Day Mile, trainer Joe Lejzerowicz told the AP.

“He just got bumped in the backstretch,” Lejzerowicz said. “He never took a bad step or bobble. He had a big heart.”

New antidoping and medication rules enforced by a central governing body of the sport are scheduled to take effect May 22.

“All I can say is we do our best to take care of our horses. We treat them better than we treat our children. And we have full confidence in the soundness of our horse,” Restrepo said. “We’ve been training here for two weeks, and he actually has been flourishing at this racetrack.”

The deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, although investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of his horses.

A relieved Tim Yakteen, who trained Reincarnate to a 13th-place finish, said, “The most important thing is the horse came out of it OK.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year ban issued by Churchill Downs Inc. One of his horses, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby and failed a post-race drug test. The horse was disqualified and Baffert was punished.

In 2019, over 30 horse deaths occurred at California’s Santa Anita racetrack, rattling the industry and leading to safety reforms. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow had his license revoked in 2011 for 10 years by New York officials. Regulators found syringes loaded with unauthorized medication in a desk in his barn. Dutrow served his punishment and re-opened his stable last month.

Four horses were scratched — Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner — in recent days. Practical Move and Skinner had fevers, while Continuar wasn’t in peak condition, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Joseph’s Derby horse.

Disarm was fourth, followed by Hit Show, Japan-based Derma Sotogake, Tapit Trice and Raise Cain, Rocket Can, Confidence Game, Sun Thunder, Japan’s Mandarin Hero, Reincarnate, Kingsbarns, King Russell, Verifying, Jace’s Road and Cyclone Mischief.

Trending News

[ad_2]

Source link

May 6, 2023
Kentucky Derby runs into more obstacles ahead of big race

[ad_1]

The early favorite for the Kentucky Derby has been scratched hours before the race

ByBETH HARRIS AP Racing Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The cast of characters for the 149th Kentucky Derby was rewritten again hours before the race Saturday when early favorite Forte was scratched.

It was the fifth scratch from the Derby in the days leading up to the $3 million race for 3-year-olds. Five horses have died at Churchill Downs in recent days.

Forte had been the early 3-1 favorite; his absence reduces the field to 18 horses for the 1 1/4-mile race.

Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said veterinarians from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had concerns about a bruised right front foot.

Forte stumbled during a workout on Thursday, although trainer Todd Pletcher had downplayed it. He still has two horses in the race: Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.

A crowd of about 150,000 is expected to jam Churchill Downs to wager and watch the Derby. Post time is 6:57 p.m. EDT.

The horse deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, although investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of his horses.

Four horses were scratched — Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner — in recent days. Practical Move and Skinner had fevers, while Continuar wasn’t in peak condition, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Joseph’s Derby horse.

Forte was last year’s 2-year-old champion and has a five-race winning streak.

New antidoping and medication rules to be enforced by the sport’s new central governing body won’t take effect until May 22, after the Derby and the Preakness.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

[ad_2]

Source link

May 6, 2023
Early Kentucky Derby Favorite Forte Scratched From Race

[ad_1]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The early favorite for the Kentucky Derby has been scratched hours before the race.

Forte was declared out of the 149th Derby on Saturday, according to Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers. No immediate reason was announced.

It was the fifth scratch this week from the race.

The colt had stumbled on the track during a workout Thursday, although trainer Todd Pletcher had downplayed it.

Five horses have died at Churchill Downs in recent days, including two trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was suspended by the track and had his Derby horse, Lord Miles, scratched.

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians were at Pletcher’s barn early Saturday to observe and examine Forte, who galloped on the track and then jogged outside the barn. Co-owner Mike Repole was on hand, too.

Forte had a five-race winning streak and was the early 3-1 favorite. That leaves 18 horses to run in the 1 1/4-mile Derby.

It was another pre-Derby disappointment for Repole.

He owned Uncle Mo, the early favorite for the 2011 Derby who was scratched the day before the race. The colt had a gastrointestinal infection and was eventually diagnosed with a rare liver disease. He resumed racing before retiring in November of that year.

Other horses that were scratched this week were Practical Move and Skinner, both because of fever, and Continuar.

Pletcher, a two-time Derby winner, will still saddle Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.

[ad_2]

Source link

May 6, 2023
Trainer suspended over horse deaths ahead of Kentucky Derby

[ad_1]

Trainer suspended over horse deaths ahead of Kentucky Derby – CBS News

Watch CBS News

Churchill Downs on Thursday suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. from entering horses in the Kentucky Derby following the sudden deaths of two of his horses this past week.

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.

[ad_2]

Source link

May 4, 2023
Trainer suspended after 2 horses mysteriously die during Kentucky Derby Week

[ad_1]

Horse trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended indefinitely Thursday after the sudden deaths of two horses during Kentucky Derby week, Churchill Downs Incorporated — which owns the racetrack at which the Derby takes place — announced Joseph Jr.’s suspension in a public statement.

Bill Mudd, President and Chief Operating Officer of Churchill Downs, said “Given the unexplained sudden deaths, we have reasonable concerns about the condition of his horses, and decided to suspend him indefinitely until details are analyzed and understood.”

The suspension bars Joseph Jr. and any of his employees from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all racetracks owned by Churchill Downs. The racetrack also announced in the statement it was withdrawing Lord Miles, another horse trained by Joseph Jr., from Saturday’s schedule race.

This year’s Kentucky Derby Week has been overshadowed by the deaths of four horses within the span of several days. While the horses trained by Joseph Jr. died suddenly, two more horses were euthanized this week due to irreparable injuries. Churchill Downs Racetrack called the deaths “highly unusual” and “completely unacceptable.”

Saffie Joseph Jr. the trainer of Lord Miles during the morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Getty Images

More than 7,200 horses died between 2009 and 2021 from racing-related injuries, leading animal welfare activists to condemn what they see as the potential cruelties of the sport. Still, four deaths during a single Kentucky Derby Week, which takes place every May in Louisville, Kentucky, have owners, trainers, and activists asking questions.

Saffie Joseph Jr.’s public record as a horse trainer indicates this is not his first suspension nor were this week’s deaths the first time horses under his supervision have died.

In 2022, two horses trained by Joseph Jr. died during races in New York State, according to the state’s horse fatalities database. One appears to have collapsed during a race on November 10, while another was euthanized after a leg injury on August 10, according to the database.

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission fined him $500 and suspended him for 15 days after another horse under his supervision tested positive for gabapentin, an illegal pain reliever, according to the racing commission database. Joseph Jr. is appealing the ruling, according to the database.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, long-awaited legislation that aims to regulate racetrack safety as well as anti-doping and medication standards, is due to take effect on May 22 after a series of delays, the Associated Press reported. Its Antidoping and Medication Control program will instate consistent rules and standards for testing across states and racetracks.

Trending News

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.

[ad_2]

Source link

May 4, 2023
Judge denies Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s request to lift two-year Churchill Downs ban | CNN

[ad_1]

CNN
—

Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert will miss the Kentucky Derby for a second straight year after a federal judge denied his request to have a two-year ban by Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) overturned.

US District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings ruled Friday that Baffert and his attorneys “failed to carry their burden to demonstrate that the Court should impose a preliminary injunction against CDI’s suspension.”

Baffert, 70, argued, among other things, that his suspension had a negative effect on his business and reputation. Baffert also argued that Churchill Downs would not be affected if he were allowed to compete at the Kentucky Derby in May.

Jennings noted his participation could impact the integrity of the race as he is the only trainer who has had horses test positive in consecutive marquee races on Churchill Downs Inc. tracks.

“Failing to punish trainers whose horses test positive in marquee races could harm CDI’s reputation and the integrity of their races,” Jennings wrote.

CNN has reached out to Baffert’s representation for comment. It is unclear if Baffert’s attorneys intend to appeal the federal judge’s decision.

“Churchill Downs is pleased that the Court denied Mr. Baffert’s demand for a preliminary injunction and granted our motion to dismiss on all but one claim, and on that claim, the Court held that Mr. Baffert did not establish a likelihood of success on the merits,” the company that runs the Louisville racetrack said Friday.

“Today’s opinion is a victory for the integrity of horseracing and we will continue to take action to protect the safety of our human and equine athletes.”

Baffert was banned from all three Triple Crown races last year after Medina Spirit’s victory at the 2021 Kentucky Derby was disqualified.

The Kentucky Derby winner, who died in December 2021, tested positive for betamethasone – an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid sometimes used to relieve joint pain – in a blood sample taken after crossing the finish line first. Kentucky horse racing rules don’t allow that and tell trainers to stop using the therapeutic 14 days before an event.

In February 2022, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced its decision to disqualify Medina Spirit and suspended Baffert for 90 days.

In total, Baffert received a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs, a one-year suspension from the New York Racing Association, and was suspended from the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes in Maryland.

A two-time winner of horse racing’s Triple Crown, Baffert is eligible to enter horses this year at the Preakness Stakes in May and at the Belmont Stakes in June. Baffert’s suspension from the Kentucky Derby expires after the 2023 race.

[ad_2]

Source link

February 18, 2023