Bob Baffert loses appeal on his 90-day horse racing suspension

Coach Bob Baffert continued his authorized dropping streak in Kentucky on Monday when a circuit court docket decide denied his want for a keep on his 90-day suspension whereas the case strikes via the regulatory course of. He has yet another attraction he can file, this one with the Kentucky Court docket of Appeals.

The suspension stems from a optimistic take a look at for an authorized anti-inflammatory, however not authorized on race day, after Medina Spirit gained final yr’s Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Horse Racing Fee suspended Baffert for 90 days not only for Medina Spirit but additionally as a result of he had 4 remedy violations in a couple of yr. Nonetheless, two of these violations in Louisiana have been deemed the results of contamination, which is usually out of a coach’s management, and the profitable placings have been restored.

Stays typically are routinely granted whereas a case is beneath attraction. However Thomas Wingate, a decide within the Franklin Circuit Court docket who hears numerous horse racing instances, addressed that in his ruling.

“The court docket finds that requests for stays should be evaluated on a case-by-case foundation,” Wingate wrote. “Accordingly, the court docket can not undertake a blanket rule that each one requests for stays should be granted.”

The listening to was held Thursday and the 20-page ruling was issued Monday. Baffert beforehand had misplaced an attraction earlier than the KHRC after the stewards initially dominated the coach was to be suspended.

“We’re upset with the choice of the Franklin County Circuit Court docket denying a keep of the Stewards rulings,” mentioned Clark Brewster, Baffert’s legal professional. “Given the significance of the matter, we intend to right away attraction to the Kentucky Court docket of Appeals.”

Due to the attraction course of, it’s unclear when Baffert must serve his suspension, ought to he be required.

Despite the fact that the ruling was in Kentucky, it might be honored in California and each different state. California rules say that with any suspension greater than 60 days, the coach should disperse his barn and take down signage. In concept that might disrupt the routine of each horse and worker. However, if all of the horses have been transferred to the identical coach, it’s possible it might be finished with out a lot day-to-day impact on the barn and the horses.

Baffert has been banned by Churchill Downs for 2 years after the Medina Spirit remedy optimistic, though that too is topic to litigation. The 2 instances are separate authorized actions.

Churchill’s ban additionally consists of an lack of ability of any of Baffert’s horses from profitable qualifying factors to be eligible to run within the Kentucky Derby. House owners of a few of Baffert’s finest 3-year-olds should resolve within the very close to future whether or not they need to stay loyal to a coach with whom they’ve had nice success, or swap to a different coach to attempt to qualify their costly horse purchases.

The subsequent few weeks would be the final qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby.