Timeline: Baffert's Kentucky Derby drug drama continues
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NYRA's hearing to help determine whether trainer Bob Baffert will be suspended was another chapter in what has been a complicated several years for Baffert.
Below is a timeline of events in the trainer’s recent struggles with drug violations in major races.
2018
April 5: Foal date for Medina Spirit, a Protonico colt out of Mongolan Changa, by Brilliant Speed. The colt was bred in Florida by Gail Rice.
April 7: Justify wins the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his stakes debut. The Scat Daddy colt, unraced as a 2-year-old, qualifies for the Kentucky Derby.
After the race, the colt tested positive for scopolamine, a result that was not brought to light until later.
May 5: Justify wins the Kentucky Derby.
June 9: Justify wins the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown.
2019
Sept. 11: The New York Times reports on Justify’s Santa Anita Derby drug test, alleging the California Horse Racing Board failed to follow usual protocol for the test.
2020
May 2: Charlatan wins a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) for Baffert at Oaklawn. Gamine wins an allowance race on the same day.
May 26: It is revealed that both Charlatan and Gamine tested positive for lidocaine after their May 2 races at Oaklawn. Baffert eventually blames an assistant trainer’s back patch for the positives.
July 15: Charlatan and Gamine are disqualified from their respective wins. Baffert is suspended for 15 days in Arkansas, but vows to appeal the decision.
Sept. 4: Gamine finishes third in the rescheduled Kentucky Oaks.
Oct. 22: It is revealed that Gamine’s Oaks Day drug sample tested positive for betamethasone. Baffert claims the medication was given 18 days before the race, outside of the 14-day withdrawal period required in Kentucky.
Nov. 4: Baffert announces the hiring of a veterinarian to his staff to ensure future compliance with drug rules.
Dec. 9: Santa Anita stewards announce their final decision on the Justify matter and throw out appeals that could have disqualified him from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby. The stewards agreed with Baffert’s assertion that the positive was the result of tainted feed.
2021
Feb. 4: Gamine is disqualified from the 2020 Kentucky Oaks because of the betamethasone positive.
April 20: The Arkansas Racing Commission restores Charlatan and Gamine’s wins from 2020 and rescinds Baffert’s suspension. It instead fines Baffert $5,000 per horse.
May 1: Medina Spirit wins the Kentucky Derby.
May 9: Baffert announces Medina Sprit tested positive for betamethasone after the Derby.
May 14: Bettors who put money on Mandaloun, who crossed the wire second in the Derby, sue Baffert and Churchill Downs Inc.
May 17: The New York Racing Association announces Baffert is indefinitely suspended from Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga.
June 2: Medina Spirit’s split sample is reported as positive. CDI, which had indefinitely suspended Baffert, announces it will ban him from its tracks for two years.
The California Horse Racing Board announces it will not take action against Baffert until the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission completes its investigation.
June 8: Baffert and Medina Spirit owner Amr Zedan file a lawsuit against the KHRC, asking a judge to force the commission to let them test the urine sample and attempt to prove the betamethasone positive was caused by a skin cream rather than an injection.
June 11: Judge Thomas Wingate says the KHRC will have to give up the split urine sample for further testing.
June 14: Bob Baffert sues NYRA to appeal his suspension.
July 14: Judge Carol Bagley Amon rules that NYRA acted unconstitutionally in suspending Baffert without due process and issues an injunction that will allow him to race. Bagley Amon does not permanently stop NYRA from suspending Baffert, saying the organization likely has the authority once the trainer is given a hearing.
July 20: The KHRC accuses a New York laboratory of depleting Medina Spirit’s primary urine sample. July 22: Baffert and Zedan's attorneys file their response to the KHRC's allegations. Aug. 9: Judge Thomas Wingate says he will not issue any orders, tells the KHRC and Baffert's lawyers to get the drug test results. Oct. 1: Corniche wins the American Pharoah despite being ineligible for Kentucky Derby points.
Oct. 17: The Breeders’ Cup announces it will allow Baffert to compete, albeit with increased testing and scrutiny before and after the races.
Nov. 5: Corniche wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for Baffert but vacates the Kentucky Derby points that otherwise would have been earned in the race.
Dec. 3: Baffert’s legal team claims that the further drug testing of Medina Spirit's split urine sample proved the positive test after the Derby was the result of Otomax use.
Dec. 7: Medina Spirit dies of a suspected heart attack after a work at Santa Anita.
Dec. 15: A judge ruled that NYRA must pay Baffert $109,124 in legal fees. 2022 Jan. 24: Baffert's NYRA hearing to help determine whether he will be suspended begins. Jan. 27: Baffert testifies during the hearing Jan. 28: The NYRA hearing concludes. Feb. 14: Kentucky's stewards met to determine whether Medina Spirit should be disqualified from the Kentucky Derby. Feb. 21: Medina Spirit was disqualified from the Kentucky Derby. Baffert's attorney said he will appeal to the KHRC. Feb. 28: Baffert files a complaint in Franklin Circuit Court, requesting a stay be enforced on Baffert's 90-day suspension. March 1: Baffert's attorney Clark Brewster announces a federal lawsuit against Churchill Downs Inc. in an effort to block Baffert's two-year ban from its tracks and allow his horses to earn Kentucky Derby points. March 2: Wingate requests Baffert's 90-day suspension be delayed until after a March 4 KHRC hearing. The court will reconvene on March 17 to discuss a possible stay. March 4: The KHRC denies Baffert a stay of his suspension. March 17: Wingate hears arguments from Baffert's attorneys and the KHRC about whether the stay should be granted. March 21: Wingate will rule on whether Baffert will receive a stay of his suspension. CDI must respond to Baffert's federal lawsuit. March 31: Nominations close for the Santa Anita Derby (G1), the final 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby points race. April 18: Baffert's appeal hearing with the KHRC will begin.
Below is a timeline of events in the trainer’s recent struggles with drug violations in major races.
2018
April 5: Foal date for Medina Spirit, a Protonico colt out of Mongolan Changa, by Brilliant Speed. The colt was bred in Florida by Gail Rice.
April 7: Justify wins the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in his stakes debut. The Scat Daddy colt, unraced as a 2-year-old, qualifies for the Kentucky Derby.
After the race, the colt tested positive for scopolamine, a result that was not brought to light until later.
May 5: Justify wins the Kentucky Derby.
June 9: Justify wins the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown.
2019
Sept. 11: The New York Times reports on Justify’s Santa Anita Derby drug test, alleging the California Horse Racing Board failed to follow usual protocol for the test.
2020
May 2: Charlatan wins a division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) for Baffert at Oaklawn. Gamine wins an allowance race on the same day.
May 26: It is revealed that both Charlatan and Gamine tested positive for lidocaine after their May 2 races at Oaklawn. Baffert eventually blames an assistant trainer’s back patch for the positives.
July 15: Charlatan and Gamine are disqualified from their respective wins. Baffert is suspended for 15 days in Arkansas, but vows to appeal the decision.
Sept. 4: Gamine finishes third in the rescheduled Kentucky Oaks.
Oct. 22: It is revealed that Gamine’s Oaks Day drug sample tested positive for betamethasone. Baffert claims the medication was given 18 days before the race, outside of the 14-day withdrawal period required in Kentucky.
Nov. 4: Baffert announces the hiring of a veterinarian to his staff to ensure future compliance with drug rules.
Dec. 9: Santa Anita stewards announce their final decision on the Justify matter and throw out appeals that could have disqualified him from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby. The stewards agreed with Baffert’s assertion that the positive was the result of tainted feed.
2021
Feb. 4: Gamine is disqualified from the 2020 Kentucky Oaks because of the betamethasone positive.
April 20: The Arkansas Racing Commission restores Charlatan and Gamine’s wins from 2020 and rescinds Baffert’s suspension. It instead fines Baffert $5,000 per horse.
May 1: Medina Spirit wins the Kentucky Derby.
May 9: Baffert announces Medina Sprit tested positive for betamethasone after the Derby.
May 14: Bettors who put money on Mandaloun, who crossed the wire second in the Derby, sue Baffert and Churchill Downs Inc.
May 17: The New York Racing Association announces Baffert is indefinitely suspended from Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga.
June 2: Medina Spirit’s split sample is reported as positive. CDI, which had indefinitely suspended Baffert, announces it will ban him from its tracks for two years.
The California Horse Racing Board announces it will not take action against Baffert until the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission completes its investigation.
June 8: Baffert and Medina Spirit owner Amr Zedan file a lawsuit against the KHRC, asking a judge to force the commission to let them test the urine sample and attempt to prove the betamethasone positive was caused by a skin cream rather than an injection.
June 11: Judge Thomas Wingate says the KHRC will have to give up the split urine sample for further testing.
June 14: Bob Baffert sues NYRA to appeal his suspension.
July 14: Judge Carol Bagley Amon rules that NYRA acted unconstitutionally in suspending Baffert without due process and issues an injunction that will allow him to race. Bagley Amon does not permanently stop NYRA from suspending Baffert, saying the organization likely has the authority once the trainer is given a hearing.
July 20: The KHRC accuses a New York laboratory of depleting Medina Spirit’s primary urine sample. July 22: Baffert and Zedan's attorneys file their response to the KHRC's allegations. Aug. 9: Judge Thomas Wingate says he will not issue any orders, tells the KHRC and Baffert's lawyers to get the drug test results. Oct. 1: Corniche wins the American Pharoah despite being ineligible for Kentucky Derby points.
Oct. 17: The Breeders’ Cup announces it will allow Baffert to compete, albeit with increased testing and scrutiny before and after the races.
Nov. 5: Corniche wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for Baffert but vacates the Kentucky Derby points that otherwise would have been earned in the race.
Dec. 3: Baffert’s legal team claims that the further drug testing of Medina Spirit's split urine sample proved the positive test after the Derby was the result of Otomax use.
Dec. 7: Medina Spirit dies of a suspected heart attack after a work at Santa Anita.
Dec. 15: A judge ruled that NYRA must pay Baffert $109,124 in legal fees. 2022 Jan. 24: Baffert's NYRA hearing to help determine whether he will be suspended begins. Jan. 27: Baffert testifies during the hearing Jan. 28: The NYRA hearing concludes. Feb. 14: Kentucky's stewards met to determine whether Medina Spirit should be disqualified from the Kentucky Derby. Feb. 21: Medina Spirit was disqualified from the Kentucky Derby. Baffert's attorney said he will appeal to the KHRC. Feb. 28: Baffert files a complaint in Franklin Circuit Court, requesting a stay be enforced on Baffert's 90-day suspension. March 1: Baffert's attorney Clark Brewster announces a federal lawsuit against Churchill Downs Inc. in an effort to block Baffert's two-year ban from its tracks and allow his horses to earn Kentucky Derby points. March 2: Wingate requests Baffert's 90-day suspension be delayed until after a March 4 KHRC hearing. The court will reconvene on March 17 to discuss a possible stay. March 4: The KHRC denies Baffert a stay of his suspension. March 17: Wingate hears arguments from Baffert's attorneys and the KHRC about whether the stay should be granted. March 21: Wingate will rule on whether Baffert will receive a stay of his suspension. CDI must respond to Baffert's federal lawsuit. March 31: Nominations close for the Santa Anita Derby (G1), the final 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby points race. April 18: Baffert's appeal hearing with the KHRC will begin.
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