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BOB BAFFERT

Calif stewards dismiss complaint about Justify drug test

(AP Photo/Peter Morgan, FileARCADIA, Calif. – Stewards at Santa Anita have dismissed complaints filed by the California Horse Racing Board involving the post-race drug tests of Triple Crown winner Justify and another horse in 2018, both of whom were trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Stewards John Herbuveaux, Ron Church and Kim Sawyer issued their ruling on the combined cases late Wednesday after hearing evidence and testimony via video on Oct. 29. The CHRB had sought the disqualifications of Justify from his victory in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby and Hoppertunity from his win in the Tokyo City Cup the following day. Baffert has said that neither horse was administered scopolamine, which is sometimes used to treat mild colic and spasms. The racing board had filed the complaint against Justify as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by Mick Ruis, the owner-trainer of Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro.

Authentic's Breeders' Cup track record updated to 1:59.60

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Authentic’s track-record time in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland has been updated to 1:59.60 after a review of multiple sources and camera angles. The Bob Baffert-trained colt went wire to wire for a 2¼-length victory over stablemate Improbable in Saturday’s 1¼-mile finale of the season-ending world championships, but his time wasn’t shown on the trackside race clock. The initial time of 1:59.19 provided by Equibase used available video replay. Further review determined fractions of 23.20, 46.84, 1:10.32, 1:34.64 and confirming a final time of 1:59.60. Authentic’s time broke the mark of 2:00.07 by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Horse racing hopes for return to normal, with fans, in 2021

John Velazquez, right, rides Authentic to win the Breeder's Cup Classic horse race at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. Many of its best competitors performed at the top of their games on a record-breaking weekend, sparking high expectations for 2021. The sport just hopes that next year’s schedule returns to normal and that spectators can be in the grandstands enjoying the races. So, I miss the fans.”“I’ll be glad when everything gets back to normal and we have the fans back," he said. “We had a reason to smile again in horse racing and show off to people who were watching what a beautiful sport it is with the excitement and the nervousness," Baffert said.

Authentic goes wire-to-wire to win Breeders' Cup Classic

John Velazquez (9) rides Authentic to win the Breeder's Cup Classic horse race at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)LEXINGTON, Ky. – From start to finish, Authentic left no doubt he was the horse to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Her second Cup win in three years followed a big upset in the Mile by Order of Australia. Another Irish bred, Tarnawa, won the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf immediately before the Classic with Colin Keane in Soumillon's place. The 18-1 choice saved his best for last as he stormed outside from near the rail in the stretch to win by 3¼ lengths and earn his first Breeders’ Cup win in four starts.

In an abnormal year, Breeders' Cup offers a bit of normalcy

Kentucky Derby winner Authentic is taken for a workout at the Breeders' Cup World Championship horse races at Keeneland Race Course Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in Lexington, Ky. Authentic is scheduled to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic race Saturday. While it has made for a strange year and compacted path to this weekend’s $31 million Breeders’ Cup world championships at Keeneland, the 14 races running Friday and Saturday at the picturesque track provides some normalcy after a season of upheaval. “The Breeders’ Cup is perhaps the only sport in which the product on the field has actually benefited from the pandemic,” NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said in a network release. Considering concerns about whether the Breeders’ Cup would occur at all, the question almost seems welcome.

Improbable is 5-2 favorite for Breeders' Cup Classic

8 post position for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the marquee race of the season-ending World Championships at Keeneland. Kentucky Derby champion Authentic, a Baffert pupil who held off Tiz the Law in a wire-to-wire victory at Churchill, will go off at 6-1 from the No. I can’t do any more for him.”Filly Swiss Skydiver, who won last month's Preakness against males and was a Classic pre-entry, opted to run against her own gender in Breeders' Cup Distaff over 1 1/8 miles. “She was 11 of 11 in the Breeders’ Cup in 2018," he said. 7 post for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile that cap Friday’s five-race feature card for 2-year-olds.

Another horse in Baffert’s stable draws a positive test

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)A filly trained by two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert has tested positive in a postrace drug test for the second time this year, making it the third positive test by a horse in Baffert’s stable in the last six months. He blamed the positive test on environmental contamination linked to a pain patch worn by assistant trainer Jim Barnes. Between her two positive tests, Gamine won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont and the Test Stakes at Saratoga, both in New York. The same day Gamine tested positive at Oaklawn, another Baffert horse also failed a postrace test. Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, also tested positive for lidocaine and was disqualified.

Triple Crown produces 3 different winners, likely no closure

Four weeks later, filly Swiss Skydiver challenged and beat Authentic in the Preakness. The Triple Crown races run out of order and later in the year produced three different winners and quite the competition for 3-year-old horse of the year. said NBC Sports analyst Kenny Rice, one of the few people to witness all three 2020 Triple Crown races in person. “We can look at both races, I suppose,” McPeek said after Swiss Skydiver won the Preakness. “We got to see most of the good 3- year-olds still in training run in the Triple Crown races.

Winning filly: Swiss Skydiver beats Authentic in Preakness

"She’s just such a special filly," said trainer Kenny McPeek, who won the Preakness for the first time for his second Triple Crown race victory. “I had an opportunity,” said Albarado, who won his second Preakness after 2007 aboard Curlin. Swiss Skydiver was the first filly to run in the Preakness since 2014, when Ria Antonia finished last. “That’s a good filly,” said Authentic and Thousand Words trainer Bob Baffert, who was denied a record-breaking eighth Preakness victory. Swiss Skydiver made it so each Triple Crown race in 2020 had a different winner.

Authentic set as 9-5 favorite at masked Preakness draw

Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness and drew the No. Authentic’s trainer, Bob Baffert, is undefeated taking the Derby winner to the Preakness, which will be run Saturday without fans. 4 as she looks to be the sixth filly to win the Preakness and first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009. So we’re very pleased with that outcome.”Trainer Steve Asmussen is saddling three horses in the Preakness: No. Mr. Big News was third behind Authentic and Tiz the Law in the Derby.

Belmont winner Tiz the Law won't run in Preakness

FILE - In this June 20, 2020, file photo, Tiz the Law (8), with jockey Manny Franco up, approaches the finish line on his way to winning the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race in Elmont, N.Y. Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law wont run in next months Preakness, spoiling what would have been a highly anticipated rematch with Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. The Preakness on Oct. 3 at Pimlico concludes this years reconfigured Triple Crown series, which was run out of order because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law won’t run in next month’s Preakness, spoiling what would have been a highly anticipated rematch with Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. The colt won the shortened Belmont Stakes in New York on June 20 to open the Triple Crown series. By skipping the Preakness, Tiz the Law will have 63 days between the Derby and the BC Classic, which is worth $6 million.

Authentic's future could include rematch against Tiz the Law

Bob Bafferts latest star achieved that by blowing past Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law to win going away Saturday at Churchill Downs. Though Authentic shattered hopes for a Triple Crown winner this year, he raised questions about what hell do for an encore, which could include a possible rematch against Tiz the Law at the Preakness in Baltimore on Oct. 3. There figures to be other well-rested horses to contend with, though Baffert touted Tiz the Law as a formidable foe at Pimlico Race Course. But those options are for later, and Baffert is happy that Authentic emerged from the Derby in good shape. Right now, at the end of the day Tiz the Law is still going to be tough.

Authentic wins Ky. Derby, gives Baffert tying 6th victory

Authentic won by 1 1/4 lengths without the usual crowd of 150,000 on hand at Churchill Downs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The bay colt ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.61 under John Velazquez, who earned his third Derby victory. Sent off at 3-5 as the biggest Derby favorite in 31 years, Tiz the Law stalked Authentic on the outside before challenging at the top of the stretch. Yes! Baffert shouted in the paddock, where he watched the race on the video screen. Tiz the Law had already won the Belmont, the kickoff to the reconfigured Triple Crown that was run in June at a shorter distance.

Tiz the Law is a big favorite in a Derby unlike any other

Kentucky Derby entry Tiz the Law runs during a workout at Churchill Downs, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby still has horses Tiz the Law is the biggest favorite in 31 years but just about everything else makes the 146th edition unlike any other. Quietude cant hurt, said Barclay Tagg, trainer of 3-5 favorite Tiz the Law. Tiz the Law won the Travers by 5 1/2 lengths over the same distance at Saratoga a month ago. A win by Tiz the Law would make Tagg the oldest trainer to win a Derby at age 82.

From Derby DQ to doping, a chaotic year in horse racing

What happened next set horse racing off on a year-long odyssey of chaos. From a historic DQ to doping, lawsuits to a global pandemic, and then a Triple Crown turned upside down. What happened next set horse racing off on a yearlong odyssey of chaos: from a historic DQ to doping, from lawsuits to a pandemic, and now a Triple Crown turned upside down. Instead of leading off on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby shifted to Labor Day weekend. Who would have ever thought youd run the Kentucky Derby with no fans? Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said.

Get on the school bus: Tiz the Law looms as Derby favorite

Tiz the Law is 4-0 this year, winning by a combined 16 1/2 lengths. Sent off at 13-1 odds, Funny Cide won by 1 1/2 lengths, thrilling the Sackatoga group that rode school buses to the race. After losing the Belmont, Funny Cide didnt run in the 2003 Travers because of a fever. Funny Cide and Tiz the Law are his biggest horses. There are suggestions that Tagg finally could land in racing's Hall of Fame should Tiz the Law win the Triple Crown.

Country House win in 2019 Derby upheld by appeals court

LOUISVILLE, Ky. A federal appeals court has upheld the decision by Churchill Downs stewards that made Country House the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati on Friday affirmed a U.S. District Court decision to dismiss a lawsuit by Gary and Mary West, who own Maximum Security. The Wests sued the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, its executive director, members and stewards after the race in May 2019. The Wests sought to reverse the track stewards decision, contending it violated their rights to due process. Maximum Security won the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22.

Bob Baffert suspended 15 days by Arkansas racing officials

LOS ANGELES Two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for 15 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance. The commission said Wednesday in a ruling that the suspension runs from Aug. 1 -15. It found Baffert violated Rule 1233, which states that a trainer shall ultimately be responsible for the condition of any horse that is entered regardless of the acts of any third parties. His horses Charlatan and Gamine each tested positive for lidocaine in two rounds of testing. They both won races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on May 2.

Belmont winner Tiz the Law eyes ambitious summer schedule

He raced to a 3 3/4-length victory Saturday in the Belmont Stakes to open the rescheduled Triple Crown. In 11 weeks, he'll get a chance to avenge that defeat over the same track in the Kentucky Derby. Tiz the Law has an ambitious summer and fall campaign ahead of him if all goes according to plan. He watched Tiz the Law win the Florida Derby on March 28 from his condo near the track and the Belmont at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs. Tiz the Law is atop the leaderboard that determines the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field with 272 points.

NY-bred Tiz the Law wins barren Belmont Stakes

All three legs of this years Triple Crown schedule were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tiz the Law gave New York a hometown champion in its first major sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic seized the area. Signs outside the locked down venue instructed gamblers that if they wanted to wager on this Belmont Stakes, their best bet was to download an app and do it on their phones. Tiz the Law owner Jack Knowlton of New Yorks Sackatoga Stable was set to watch from a restaurant patio in upstate Saratoga Springs. Manny Franco, a 25-year-old jockey from Puerto Rico, entered the winners circle in his first career Belmont Stakes.

Belmont sets pace for Triple Crown, with Tiz the Law favored

Robin Smullen, left, and Juan Barajas Saldana walk Belmont Stakes hopeful Tiz the Law around the paddock at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2020. Now, the ownership group that buys just one or two New York-bred colts a year is back to try again with Tiz the Law. Tiz The Law has been the best 3-year-old since January basically, and he remains that, retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey said. Knowlton hasnt seen Tiz the Law race in person since Feb. 3 in Florida because of the pandemic. With all the changes for horses and humans, Tiz the Law remains a calming presence.

Tiz the Law draws No. 8 post as early 6-5 Belmont favorite

It wasn't quite the post position trainer Barclay Tagg wanted for Tiz the Law. Still, it wasn't far off for the colt who on Wednesday was made the early 6-5 favorite for the Belmont Stakes. Tagg was hoping the Florida Derby winner would land anywhere between spots 5 to 7 in the starting gate for Saturday's beginning of the reconfigured Triple Crown series. Tiz the Law drew the No. He likes this track, so I'm glad to be back on it.Instead of concluding the Triple Crown, the Belmont is kicking off the series.

What Would Have Been: Triple Crown finale and French finals

The Belmont Stakes usually wraps up a five-week span that includes the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. All have been pushed back, though the Belmont Stakes will now go first on June 20. (Richard Rasmussen/The Sentinel-Record via AP, File)The final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown would have been set and the French Open finals would have been contested this week if not for the coronavirus pandemic. All have been pushed back, though the Belmont Stakes will now go first on June 20. TRIVIA BREAK: With the Belmont Stakes being the first Triple Crown race this year, followed by the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 and the Preakness on Oct. 3, the Triple Crown will be run out of its usual order for the first time since when?

Nadal off Triple Crown trail after injury at Santa Anita

Joel Rosario, top, and Nadal cross the wire to win the second division of the Arkansas Derby horse race Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Ark. (Richard Rasmussen/The Sentinel-Record via AP)LOS ANGELES Nadal, one of trainer Bob Bafferts early favorites for the Triple Crown, injured his ankle after a workout at Santa Anita on Thursday and is out of contention for the series. Baffert said Nadal could return to racing after a 90-day recovery period. Nadal is named for Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who has endured numerous injuries during his stellar career. In February, he won the San Vicente after winning his racing debut in January at Santa Anita.

Reports: 2 horses trained by Bob Baffert fail drug tests

LOS ANGELES Two horses from the barn of two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert have tested positive for a banned substance, according to published reports. According to the Times, one of the horses to test positive was Charlatan, an undefeated colt considered to be a top contender for the Belmont Stakes on June 20. The Times reported Baffert's other horse to test positive is Gamine, a 3-year-old filly who won at Oaklawn on the same day. Charlatan is ranked fourth on the qualifying points leaderboard for the Kentucky Derby, a race Baffert has won five times. No one at the Arkansas Racing Commission was reachable after hours Tuesday night.

Belmont set for June 20 without fans, leads off Triple Crown

The Belmont Stakes will be run June 20, 2020, without fans and serve as the opening leg of horse racing's Triple Crown for the first time in the sport's history. This is the first time the Belmont will lead off the Triple Crown ahead of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)Horse racing's Triple Crown will look different this year from start to finish. An out-of-order Triple Crown presents another set of challenges and would be a different kind of accomplishment than the one competed by the 13 past champions. How can he handle it? said Baffert, who trained 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner Justify.

Many struggling in horse racing hope return brings lifeline

FILE - In this May 7, 2020 file photo the sun rises over the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Horse racing is in a state of transition at a time usually reserved for Triple Crown season. There is some light at the end of the tunnel as tracks including Churchill Downs in Kentucky are getting back to live racing without fans. Were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully, Maryland-based owner and trainer Linda Gaudet said from Louisville, Kentucky, where shes preparing for racing to return Saturday at Churchill Downs. Like other businesses, it will happen gradually and on a case-by-case basis, with people like Gaudet hoping horse racing will eventually get back on its feet.

2 horses killed in 'freak accident' at California racetrack

Getty Images(CNN) - Two racehorses died Thursday morning in what is being called a "freak accident" while training at the Del Mar racetrack in California. Carson Valley's rider, Assael Espinoza, was taken to the hospital for evaluation, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club officials said. "We work every day to take the best care of our horses but sometimes freak accidents occur that are beyond anyone's ability to control. This episode follows the death of 30 horses in less than a year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. "These horses' lives were taken from them by the racing industry," the group's senior vice president, Kathy Guillermo, said.