04 July 2023 , 09:45
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Legendary US racehorse trainer Bob Baffert will not be able to have runners at the 150th Kentucky Derby after his ban from the race was extended by another year.
Baffert, the most recognisable face in the US horse racing, has been exiled from Churchill Downs since Medina Spirit was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance in 2021.
His subsequent two year suspension from all Churchill Downs-owned track expired this year but the racecourse group has announced Baffert remains unwelcome due to “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing”.
“Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations,” a statement said.
“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.
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“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.
Medina Spirit: finishing first past the post in the 2021 Kentucky Derby (Getty)‘Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status.”
Baffert has trained six Kentucky Derby winners, the most of any active trainer, and won the Triple Crown twice.
Baffert, 70, has always claimed the post-race positive was the result of the use of an ointment to treat Medina Spirit for a skin infection, which he says is “permitted” under the rules and continues to challenge the case through the courts.
He has continued to train from his base in Southern California and this year he won the Preakness Stakes for the eighth time.
He released his own statement saying: “I am at a loss to understand Churchills Downs’ latest action to suspend me.“
He added: “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.”