For readers unfamiliar with the name, Robert ‘Bob’ Baffert is an American trainer, based at Santa Anita Park, California, who is probably best known for winning the Triple Crown twice, with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Indeed, Baffert has won more Grade 1 races in North America than any other trainer in history, including the Kentucky Derby six times, the Preakness Stakes eight times and the Belmont Stakes three times.
However, a week after ‘winning’ the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Baffert was informed that the Protonico colt had tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone, which is legal in Kentucky, but not on race days. At that time, Baffert claimed that the positive post-race test was the result of treating Medina Spirit with the topical, anti-fungal ointment Otomax for a skin condition on his hind quarters.
Nevertheless, in February, 2022, Medina Spirit was officially disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, in favour of the runner-up Manadaloun, who was also awarded the $1.8 million winning prize money, and Baffert was fined $7,500 and suspended for 90 days. The suspension was honoured by all states, such that Baffert was banned from entering horses in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
By that stage, though, Baffert had already been handed a separate, two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI), which operates Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, so was banned from entering horses in the Kentucky Derby in 2022 and 2023 in any case. Indeed, in early July, 2023, CDI announced that it would be extending the suspension until at least 2024, saying, ‘ 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.’