Bob Baffert’s shock of white hair has been a signature a part of Triple Crown horse racing for many years. However to people who observe the game carefully, his a long time of dishonest, doping, denying, and litigating are his actual calling card.
In March of 2020, Baffert wrote this op-ed within the Washington Put up calling for federal regulation and the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Security Act. Within the 13 months following publication, Bob Baffert Racing Stables horses examined constructive for banned substances 5 occasions in three states, together with Medina Spirit on the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
Regardless of crossing the end line first, Medina Spirit was disqualified for doping and formally didn’t win the Run for the Roses. The horse then died on the observe throughout a exercise at Santa Anita seven months later. It added to Baffert’s file variety of useless horses per race participated in by way of the years. Essentially the most profitable coach in historical past has been cited for doping-related offenses no less than 29 occasions.
With Medina Spirit, Baffert blamed cancel tradition, then presumably a groom at certainly one of his tracks that urinated within the barn after ingesting cough syrup. It wasn’t first time his grooms have been leveraged for his or her potential consumption.
In 2000, Nautical Look examined constructive for morphine, and a member of secure employees was then repeatedly requested by Baffert to testify he was consuming poppy seed bagels and muffins across the horse to clarify the constructive check. The groom left the secure as an alternative. In 2020, he stated an assistant within the barn had a patch for his again ache that triggered two further constructive assessments. So, sure, we’re happening nearly a quarter-century of everybody being at fault besides the coach, whose excuses go far past strained credulity.
In a sport of rogues, what Baffert has achieved is mix probably the most prized thoroughbred horses on the earth with a veterinary program giving him as a lot believable deniability as doable, and a authorized arm that ensures his billable hours are as spectacular as his wins.
He doesn’t simply compete on the observe, however in preliminary injunction hearings, regulatory hearings, courtrooms, and anyplace else he can deflect and deny what has been apparent for a technology; that he’ll push the boundaries and break guidelines in ways in which endanger championship-level horses, rules and guidelines be damned, a lot much less the well being of the animal.
Now after a three-year suspension from all tracks owned by Churchill Downs Integrated, Baffert is again in his typical barn in Louisville for the First Saturday in Might. He first returned final November, after dropping litigation in opposition to CDI in January 2024. He’ll have Citizen Bull operating within the first place. Rodriguez was going to expire of the fourth place, however was a late scratch on Thursday.
Baffert has 17 Triple Crown wins, together with six on the Kentucky Derby, and by the numbers he’s by far probably the most profitable coach of his period with over $320 million in prize cash received. He’s captured the Triple Crown twice, with American Pharoah in 2015 breaking a 37-year drought by profitable the three largest races for three-year-olds in six weeks.
He did it once more in 2018 with Justify, who was caught doping weeks earlier than the Kentucky Derby in his qualifying race at Santa Anita, however Baffert and his group received these hearings moved behind closed doorways. Justify by no means ought to have been allowed to compete within the first place. And if the New York Instances didn’t dig, we’d by no means understand how the California Horse Racing Board modified the foundations on the fly to maintain the unhealthy PR away from a Triple Crown profitable marketing campaign.
On one cloudy Baltimore day in 2023, he had a horse full of medicine that by no means ought to have been racing put down on the observe, after which received the Preakness Stakes a pair hours later. It was simply one other day on the observe for Baffert.
These are all issues to recollect when NBC interviews Baffert throughout their Saturday protection of all of the Derby Day races. And whereas there’s little question who probably the most profitable coach of his period is, the query is how a lot of his profitable has been on the extent. And what number of horses have unnecessarily suffered and died whereas in his care to gas these championships.
We’ll in all probability by no means know. However with a long time of repeated missteps on his resume, we will proceed to surprise how Baffert remains to be allowed to ply his commerce anyplace. And what number of extra horses will die or undergo due to it.
