Already in court to dispute the drug positive after Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby victory, trainer Bob Baffert has been told that his horses must undergo extra testing before they may be entered in the Breeders' Cup on November 5 and 6 at Del Mar.
A Breeders' Cup spokesman emailed a statement on behalf of the organization to announce that Baffert is expected to pay for the extra testing as well as 24-hour surveillance on his horses before the championships Nov. 5 and 6.
Following is the full statement from the Breeders' Cup:
Breeders’ Cup conducts Thoroughbred racing at the highest levels of safety and integrity for the benefit of our horses, riders, participants, fans and bettors. To this end, the Breeders’ Cup board of directors convened a special review under legal counsel to evaluate the recent conduct of Mr. Bob Baffert in order to determine whether he should be permitted to participate in the 2021 World Championships. In the interest of fairness, Mr. Baffert was provided with advanced notice and an opportunity to take part in the process, and the board appreciated his participation and cooperation in connection with its inquiries.
Based on the totality of the circumstances, Breeders’ Cup has decided to require all horses trained by Mr. Baffert to undergo enhanced out-of-competition, pre- and post-race testing and other security protocols, at his own expense, in order to participate in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar.
In addition to operating under the rules and regulations of both the California Horse Racing Board and Del Mar for the 2021 World Championships, those competing in any Breeders’ Cup race are subject to another set of rules specific to the Breeders’ Cup, which include the Breeders’ Cup Condition of Entry, the Prohibited Substance Rule and the Convicted Trainer Rule. On top of our industry-leading protocols and standards, additional testing and security requirements for any horse under Mr. Baffert’s care will be administered at his expense under a signed agreement to provide a more targeted layer of accountability. These additional measures include increased randomized out-of-competition testing for all prohibited and restricted substances, additional tests administered the week of the World Championships, increased veterinarian and security checks, and in-person 24-hour security surveillance ahead of the horse or horses’ respective events. Mr. Baffert has agreed to abide by each of these additional measures.
Working with horses and competing in the World Championships is a privilege, and medication restrictions and testing protocols are in place for a reason. The Breeders’ Cup expects Mr. Baffert’s complete cooperation in ensuring that every horse under his care is in full compliance with all medication restrictions and safety standards.
Breeders’ Cup looks forward to the uniform rules and enforcement mechanisms that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s antidoping and medication control program will bring to our sport.
0 Responses
Proposed actions might appear unreasonable but based on recent and past history, this is best for the sport. Too many of Baffert's horses have demonstrted crippling speed which have lead numerous Classic/ Grade 1 wins. I have noticed in recent times that many of his favoured horses have turned in disappointing performances so I am happy with the pre-testing demands as such action will level the playing field which will lead to satisfied Stakeholders especially Owners and Trainers.
Do applaud the steps announced by the Breeder's Cup organization. No Breeder's Cup winner or for that matter any horseracing winner should be tainted or have an asterisk against its name.
Baffert is under severe scrutiny - let's see what happens