'We're going to get better': Baffert steps up drug-compliance efforts
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A hectic year for Bob Baffert continues with this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup. The Hall of Fame trainer will have six runners at Keeneland for the event, including three of the favorites in Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
In the meantime, Baffert continues to deal with questions related to a series of drug positives from his horses, including Gamine, who will compete in Saturday's Filly & Mare Sprint.
“It’s been a tough year,” Baffert said Wednesday. “And a lot of the stuff that happened was just sort of things that were — no intent was made there to do anything wrong. But we’re going to deal with it. We’re going to get better. I always thought I ran a tight ship. I've got to run it tighter.”
Baffert said in a press release Wednesday that he is adding Dr. Michael Hore of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to his staff to insure compliance with drug rules in the future.
Baffert said the addition of Hore was part of his efforts to run a more effective stable.
“All I can do is try to be better and keep these things from happening,” Baffert said. “The contamination, it’s a lot of contamination. Gamine was basically following the guidelines, which were wrong.”
RELATED: Gamine fails drug test; Baffert's team discredits report
Baffert said the background problems have not affected his training regimen going into the Breeders’ Cup.
“Not at all,” Baffert said. “It hasn’t affected me because it’s something, it’s a distraction having to deal with it. I think the PR part of it is not good.”
Baffert was noticeably happier when discussing his Breeders’ Cup barn, saying that all of the horses are coming into the races in excellent form, including his three Classic runners, Maximum Security, morning-line favorite Improbable and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
“Authentic, we know he’s fast,” Baffert said. “Max is fast, Max you can put him where you want. And Improbable, he has speed himself, but he can sit, he can stalk. What they all have in common is that they’re extremely talented horses. You hate to run all three of them together like that, but for Breeders’ Classic, everything is on the line.”
The filly at the center of the drug controversy, Gamine, tested with a medication overage following a second-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. According to documents obtained by Horse Racing Nation through an open records request with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the filly tested positive for an overage of betamethasone. It registered at 27 picograms per liter, while betamethasone is only allowable in trace amounts of up to 10 picograms per liter. Baffert said at the time that the medication, which is legal to use in Kentucky outside of 14 days before a race, was actually given 18 days before the Oaks, and the amount in the sample was a result of faulty guidelines.
Gamine is the 7-5 morning line favorite in a Filly & Mare Sprint field that will include the likes of Bell’s the One, who won the Derby City Distaff (G1) last time out, and Serengeti Empress, who finished second in that race.
Gamine has not raced since the Oaks on Sept. 4.
“That little break really helped her,” Baffert said. “She couldn’t be doing any better, she looks great. I think 7/8s, that’s a great distance for her.”
Baffert also will run Princess Noor in the Juvenile Fillies and Classier in the Juvenile.
In the meantime, Baffert continues to deal with questions related to a series of drug positives from his horses, including Gamine, who will compete in Saturday's Filly & Mare Sprint.
“It’s been a tough year,” Baffert said Wednesday. “And a lot of the stuff that happened was just sort of things that were — no intent was made there to do anything wrong. But we’re going to deal with it. We’re going to get better. I always thought I ran a tight ship. I've got to run it tighter.”
Baffert said in a press release Wednesday that he is adding Dr. Michael Hore of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to his staff to insure compliance with drug rules in the future.
Baffert said the addition of Hore was part of his efforts to run a more effective stable.
“All I can do is try to be better and keep these things from happening,” Baffert said. “The contamination, it’s a lot of contamination. Gamine was basically following the guidelines, which were wrong.”
RELATED: Gamine fails drug test; Baffert's team discredits report
Baffert said the background problems have not affected his training regimen going into the Breeders’ Cup.
“Not at all,” Baffert said. “It hasn’t affected me because it’s something, it’s a distraction having to deal with it. I think the PR part of it is not good.”
Baffert was noticeably happier when discussing his Breeders’ Cup barn, saying that all of the horses are coming into the races in excellent form, including his three Classic runners, Maximum Security, morning-line favorite Improbable and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
“Authentic, we know he’s fast,” Baffert said. “Max is fast, Max you can put him where you want. And Improbable, he has speed himself, but he can sit, he can stalk. What they all have in common is that they’re extremely talented horses. You hate to run all three of them together like that, but for Breeders’ Classic, everything is on the line.”
The filly at the center of the drug controversy, Gamine, tested with a medication overage following a second-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. According to documents obtained by Horse Racing Nation through an open records request with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the filly tested positive for an overage of betamethasone. It registered at 27 picograms per liter, while betamethasone is only allowable in trace amounts of up to 10 picograms per liter. Baffert said at the time that the medication, which is legal to use in Kentucky outside of 14 days before a race, was actually given 18 days before the Oaks, and the amount in the sample was a result of faulty guidelines.
Gamine is the 7-5 morning line favorite in a Filly & Mare Sprint field that will include the likes of Bell’s the One, who won the Derby City Distaff (G1) last time out, and Serengeti Empress, who finished second in that race.
Gamine has not raced since the Oaks on Sept. 4.
“That little break really helped her,” Baffert said. “She couldn’t be doing any better, she looks great. I think 7/8s, that’s a great distance for her.”
Baffert also will run Princess Noor in the Juvenile Fillies and Classier in the Juvenile.
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