From the New York Racing Association website today:
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the temporary suspension of Bob Baffert from entering horses in races and occupying stall space at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack.
“In order to maintain a successful thoroughbred racing industry in New York, NYRA must protect the integrity of the sport for our fans, the betting public and racing participants,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “That responsibility demands the action taken today in the best interests of thoroughbred racing.”
Do you suppose this would be happening had Medina won the Preakness? Do you think “protecting the integrity of the sport” would have been such a priority if the Triple Crown were still there for the taking? Yeah, me neither.
Yep, well said Patrick!
Baffert is a convenient scape goat when the racing industry needs one – like when his horse DOESN’T win a big name race and tests positive. When there’s a big win and big money involved, the industry defaults to their usual heads up their asses and “don’t see nuthin’ here”.
Agrred
I had not considered this possibility – but thank you for airing it .
My take : If Baffert’s horse DID win the Preakness – and left the “spit box” with no illegal residue to be found in his system – then , perhaps NYRA MIGHT have softened their stance and been willing to consider that even though Baffert isn’t a choirboy – he may have not deliberately administered steroids prior to the Derby. I admire the NYRA’s willingness to cite his prior infractions as helping in reaching their conclusion . I do not think the media and money heavy momentum surrounding a potential Triple Crown win would have influenced them alone, but the horse winning clean ? Perhaps .
The horse winning “CLEAN”? – and are we so blind to not realize there are others in this industry (who benefit greatly from its existence) who think like D. Wayne Lukas does? – and that the post-KD MS labs, well, I’ll just copy and paste a portion of Steve Whyno’s (AP) piece that speaks to the “integrity” of the racing industry….
“Perhaps that’s why Lukas wishes he was still on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that will decide the fate of Baffert and his latest champion. ‘I would absolutely today tell my colleagues that we need to just dismiss this, throw it out, put the Derby winner back on the throne and move on,’ [Lukas] said. ‘You almost think the lab should probably have poured it down the sink in the first place.’”
“Down the sink” = “clean”.
Leave it to the NYRA to make the statement about “in the best interests of thoroughbred racing.” It’s all about the racing and the Pari-Mutuel gambling. Horseracing ITSELF is not in the best interests of THOROUGHBRED HORSES. Here again is a bunch of greedy, power hungry people that are accustomed to the gambling revenue they generate from the horrific abuse they facilitate to sentient four-legged beings.
# HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
# endhorseracingNOW
If only the “cheaters” could be blamed for all the horse kills, the NYRA might have a valid point in suspending Slimebob. But ALL of racing’s so-called trainers have at least a few young horse deaths in their recent histories, even the (self-professed) “good guys.” So if they want to “protect the integrity of the sport” (Ha ha!), why don’t they start suspending each trainer for a year for each of his/her horse deaths?
Oh, that’s right. The NYRA just doesn’t care how many horses are killed on NY tracks. Doesn’t matter. Plus, they can’t benefit off their ill-gotten government subsidies once the trainer population drops down to zero in the first couple months. So scratch that idea;(
Patrick, you are a GODSEND for keeping us abreast of ALL that is occuring in this horrible world of horse maiming and killing. THANK YOU!!!!!
What integrity????
Integrity is absent from horseracing!
Integrity of the Sport, there is no integrity when race horses die everyday at race tracks. I like Bob Baffert but every time one of his horses have failed a blood test he doesn’t know how it happened! Why is that?
How can you like Bob Baffert? He’s a serial animal abuser and killer who will shove anything in his horses’ veins if it means winning, then claim complete ignorance. However, unlike many of the other parasitic owners and trainers, he’s too stupid to not get caught.
I won’t speculate nor do I have a crystal ball, but I do know that Baffert and the top trainers by earnings are all multiple doping violators who kill lots of racehorses.
They have been facilitated and revered by the upper echelons of this business and we now know, via PETA’s report, that Baffert has a direct connection with the top Kentucky Racing Commissioner who happens to be on the payroll of top farms, mainly Coolmore, which is where most of Baffert’s Derby winners got sold for high stud fees – BINGO.
I’ve always maintained in my comments that this business is corrupt at the highest levels and nobody can win against them even if they shoved rocket fuel up their racehorse’s ass because you can’t compete against this level of organized criminal activity.
With this recent bombshell information I think the racing commissions are getting a little nervous because it’s not only the Kentucky Racing Commissioners that can be bought by big money, but it’s almost every commission.
In fact, most all Commissioners own racehorses under hidden ownership and they control every aspect of racing on that track including the drug testing process.
Look no further than the CHRB and the corruption that has been prevalent for years and still continues.
The Commissioners are APPOINTED despite the fact that their salaries are paid for by taxpayers and they are appointed by the Governors who accept political donations from horse racing especially when millions in casino subsidies are involved.
2 things: 1. if anybody out there is considering investing money into this business – run away, far, far away or if you’re already in it GET OUT before you go broke because you’re only filling races for them. 2. the poor racehorses are the biggest victims of this widespread corruption.
The only reason why things have not been “cleaned up” is because the Commissioners and Commissions are in charge of cleaning it up and why would they when they greatly benefit from the corrupt system in place?
Corruption can not survive, let alone thrive, in any business unless it is a corrupt business.
Stop abusing God’s creation, no one has the right to take someone else and abuse them in any kind of way, we owe animals our respect and admiration!!
BOB BAFFERT is my neighbor and I know he would not CHEAT! I believe his statement! anybody could have entered the horse stall and injected his horse-planted drugs!
Baffert finally admitted that the horse, MEDINA SPIRIT, had a skin condition that required the ointment containing the drug in question. It was not an illegal drug, but it was more than the legal limit on race day that made it a violation. I don’t believe anything Bob Baffert says when his lips are moving. I think there were other offenses that Bob Baffert committed and somehow skated under the radar, so to speak.
If you ready the vets statement and she has been doing it for years. The number found in medinas system was consistent with that of an injection in a joint not more than 3 days prior. It wasn’t from the ointment.
Nobody believes it was from a topical Wanda unless they bathed the horse in it. Absorption of topical corticosteroids is very minimal.
The ointment was a convenient excuse and/or cover-up for something much more deviant. However it was something that could actually happen in real life (although not to the same amount of picograms) whereas the horse licking the wall excuse was not even something that a horse would ever do in real life, besides being an absolutely stupid excuse. Baffert also appeared to be clueless that the ointment contained Betamethosone. Imagine a millionaire horse trainer that doesn’t read labels. Isn’t that special…?!!! I believe he had a private conference with his attorney, Craig Robertson, and his private veterinarian to come up with the ointment excuse in order to seem even a tiny bit credible. The evidence dictated that he had to admit to something, in my opinion. Even though I think Bob Baffert is incapable of telling the truth, that he is likely a compulsive liar, some people will let him get away with it when the money is the most important thing in their pathetic lives.
Well, of course they could have. There’s always a unsupervised crowd traipsing back and forth around those horses. And just because Baffert has been caught drugging his horses in the past certainly doesn’t mean that he did it THIS time. The fact that he’s a serial animal abuser who will shove anything and everything into his horse’s jugular just to win doesn’t mean he’s not a great guy.
I get it!
Hahaha.
Believe what you want, but isn’t it awfully convenient that a millionaire Trainer who has million dollar racehorses in his barn doesn’t have a relatively cheap high tech closed circuit camera (CCC) system installed?
You would think that about 10 doping positives ago this would cross his mind or perhaps be installed?
Could it be that a closed circuit camera would record exactly what happened and that it really wasn’t the jinsom weed in the hay, or that his Assistant wasn’t even wearing a patch the day it was supposedly transferred onto a racehorse or whatever other excuses that can be conjured up?
Or would a CCC system perhaps show a vet entering the stall outside the allotted Lasix time to shove a needle into a racehorse’s vein?
The scenarios run amok don’t they so instead of guessing wouldn’t it be prudent for a Trainer of such stature with previous doping violations to finally put to rest what exactly is going on in his barn?
It seems obvious that a CCC system would eliminate the many scenarios that he claimed or suggested happen.
I can tell you with utmost certainty that when myself and a few other racing officials suggested that all Trainer barns and stalls should have a CCC system installed that could be monitored by the respective racing personnel including security to increase the integrity of the wagering product – you know what happened?
None of them agreed to it and vehemently opposed such a suggestion and those who installed their own didn’t want it monitored by commission or security personnel.
Just to put things in perspective the local corner convenience store has a high tech CCC system on a $2.00 bag of chips for heaven sakes.
Most CCC systems can be monitored on your laptop while you’re at home.
Most of these potential scenarios could be eliminated with a CCC system so why not have them not to mention monitoring million dollar racehorses.
Makes sense right?
Gina, if there were closed circuit cameras/surveillance video of what goes on in the horse stalls/barns at the racetracks, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would hypothetically have a lot to work with in showing what goes on in secret in horseracing. Of course, they would not have access to it being private video. Just saying.
I get it!
You are full of shit.
Bob Baffert is a dirty horse abusing bastard that was permanently kicked out of the AQHA for being so dirty, so abusive, so blatantly negligent, that it was making the AQHA look bad to let him remain. Numerous witnesses to his ‘training’ methods spoke out, a hmm, funny, the same things he was proven guilty of in the AQHA, he is doing in TB circles. It boggles the mind that he was allowed anywhere near a horse again.
About time!!!!!
I am SO disappointed in him. Disillusioned as well! I think there should be an end to horse racing, period! The horses are being pushed to the limit! Drugs, WHIPPING and constant pressure!!!! All to line the pockets It is tragic. Treated like a commodity not as having feelings.
Disgusting!!!
at LOUISIANA DOWNS I would go to the paddock and look around-nobody even questioned why I was there or what I was doing!
What were you doing there, Robert?
Your point?
Oh, so YOU’RE the little stinker slipping stuff to Baffert’s horses!
It’s always the “neighbor” who did it;)
The vets who have extensive experience with medications shared the fact that the Otomax he claimed was used for the dermatitis has 2 active ingredients that would have shown up on the post-race test and didn’t.
Yet, there are 2 distinct active ingredients for joint injections that showed up in the post-race test.
Also, a high profile Trainer like Baffert with extensive years of experience coupled with the best private vets that money can buy who also have extensive experience with meds and withdrawal times supposedly didn’t know that Otomax’s second ingredient is Betamethosone?
Either Baffert, and his private vet are incredibly stupid or we all are stupid for believing such a ridiculous excuse.
As of yesterday, the post-race split sample is STILL SITTING in an office at Churchill Downs.
When questioned about it Baffert’s attorney confirmed that it hasn’t been sent out so that he could discuss the next step with racing officials.
About 90% of Trainers don’t have this luxury that is afforded to Baffert vindicating my stance that there is a 2-tier system in horse racing – 1 for top trainers and the other rules apply to the rest.
Now their saying that the results probably won’t be available for weeks using another excuse that the labs are busy with other racehorse drug tests.
Have you ever heard of such utter nonsense and outrageous incompetence of a multibillion dollar industry whose wagering product has less integrity than a pile of manure?
Furthermore, they have been drug testing for years and they still can’t get it right?
That post-race split sample should have turned around in 48 hours before the Preakness.
This time lapse is despicable and they won’t disclose exactly WHO has access to this sample sitting in an office at Churchill Downs who stands to lose millions under a current lawsuit.
CD or whoever has possession of this sample could be switching it out as we speak with nobody knowing about it so that Teflon Bob can get exonerated yet again and no bets have to be reimbursed.
Most of us know just how corrupt this business is, but now finally the general public is starting to see through the cracks and this example alone lays to bare just how bad it is.
RICO lawsuit filed today by gamblers against Bob Baffert.
I hope they win and I hope, in the process, that lots of dirty laundry gets aired for all to see.
If Baffert is smart he will settle out of court.
If he’s not smart enough to not get caught repeatedly, I doubt he’s smart enough to settle out of court.
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act suggests that the criminal activity that Bob Baffert is and has been involved in is much bigger than himself. Many other people have been involved in this ongoing criminal activity involving gambling and defrauding the betting public.
I hope that his “army” of attorneys will not be able to get him off the hook. I hope that all of the criminal elements, people and acts of criminal activity, are brought to light as much as possible. I hope that this doping of horses to manipulate the outcome of how horses finish in a race, that they were not disqualified from running, and the incentive of outrageously high stud fees for doped horses winning Grade One races does not go unpunished. I hope the assets of the people involved are seized!!! Most of all I hope horseracing is exposed to more people for what it is and that horseracing is ended.
#HorseracingisAnimalCruelty
My comment is to Robert Farrell.