Medina Spirit fails drug test

[EventerAJ]

Yes, the ban is for all CDI owned tracks. But that really only affects Derby Day stuff…as far as I know, Baffert is not a regular at any other CDI track.

What is slightly more complicated is that technically Medina Spirit isn’t disqualified yet. That ruling will come from the Kentucky state horse racing authority, and is subject to appeal by Baffert (which will draw out the process). As a Class 2 violation, it is unlikely to get a big 2-year hammer like CDI imposed. However, what KY rules will be upheld by other state racing legislations. CDI’s ban is for their own private property, and is not necessarily reciprocal among other tracks/states. In the meantime, Baffert’s life goes on as usual in CA. It will be very interesting to see what happens to his Derby prospects next year.

[hoopoe]

I am a racing far outsider. Would this 2 year suspension be typical for a simple/ single violation or does it carry a weight that this is one of multiple positive tests over the last year(s)?

[skydy]

@Where_sMyWhite

I was thinking earlier today where some folks had been wondering if the split could have been tested for any of the other chemicals that could have been associated with the tropical ointment. IMO, if you knew that the source of the betamethasone wasn’t the topical ointment, why would you ask for the additional testing when you knew the chemicals wouldn’t be found?

According to Zedan’s attorney they are testing the samples for ointment ingredients. No word from Baffert’s side on what they think of that.
Shouldn’t really matter, except perhaps to the owner, the subtance was in the horse. Period. Either negligence or cheating.

[Event_Horse]

@Where_sMyWhite

He could then transfer (as I understand it) a horse to a different trainer if the horse was to be run at a CDI track?

The article says the suspension applies to “Baffert, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Bob Baffert Racing Stables.” I can’t imagine that any respectable trainer would want to “take over” the training temporarily while a horse ran at a CDI track and then turn it back over to Baffert. I would hope that CDI would see a move like that as a violation of the spirit of the suspension, if not the letter of the suspension.

Are there any rules about how long a horse must be away from a suspended trainer before it can run under a new trainer?

@Where_sMyWhite

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy… snort!

Couldn’t agree with you more. Too bad the 2021 Breeder’s Cup is at Del Mar and the 2022 is at Keeneland rather than Churchill Downs. But, any chance the Kentucky Racing Commission would impose a state-wide ban?

[skydy]

I can’t imagine the negative publicity if he’s allowed to have horses run in the Breeder’s Cup races.

[Laurierace]

@Event_Horse

Couldn’t agree with you more. Too bad the 2021 Breeder’s Cup is at Del Mar and the 2022 is at Keeneland rather than Churchill Downs. But, any chance the Kentucky Racing Commission would impose a state-wide ban?

If the racing commission gives him days it will be reciprocal. It will be short though, I am guessing 14 days or less as it is a class 3 medication. He will drag it out at least until after the BC if not longer however.

[skydy]

What are the chances that Stronach will ban him from their tracks?
Any chance at all?

[Mara]

@skydy

What are the chances that Stronach will ban him from their tracks?
Any chance at all?

I’m sure Jerry Hollendorfer is watching with some interest.

(Not that I’m defending Hollendorfer. The man had a history of running horses into the ground).

[Laurierace]

Stronach will not ban him but they will uphold the suspension.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@skydy

According to Zedan’s attorney they are testing the samples for ointment ingredients. No word from Baffert’s side on what they think of that.
Shouldn’t really matter, except perhaps to the owner, the subtance was in the horse. Period. Either negligence or cheating.

As long as BB didn’t request the additional testing, he can do the grey hair flip thing and claim contamination if something shows up. If BB requested the additional testing and knew the ointment contents wouldn’t show up in the test, it would be hard to claim contamination. If he didn’t ask for the extra testing he can plead ignorance on the outcome.

[skydy]

@Where_sMyWhite

@skydy

According to Zedan’s attorney they are testing the samples for ointment ingredients. No word from Baffert’s side on what they think of that.
Shouldn’t really matter, except perhaps to the owner, the subtance was in the horse. Period. Either negligence or cheating.

As long as BB didn’t request the additional testing, he can do the grey hair flip thing and claim contamination if something shows up. If BB requested the additional testing and knew the ointment contents wouldn’t show up in the test, it would be hard to claim contamination. If he didn’t ask for the extra testing he can plead ignorance on the outcome.

He’s already admitted to the ointment though. Too late for “sabotage” or “contamination”.
He’s backed himself into a corner. If the inert ointment ingredients don’t show up he’ll be considered to have lied and to have had the horse’s joint injected. If they do show up, he still has a horse with a medication positive and looks like a moron for not being more careful, especially after all of the platitudes and bunk he spouted the last time he was busted.

The use of Betamethasone for joint injections in race horses has already made it to the main stream press. He’d better hope they find some inert ointment ingredients.

[frugalannie]

I don’t know what the inert ingredients of that ointment are, but I would be surprised if a) they entered the bloodstream and b) standardized tests in the labs licensed for testing even exist for those compounds. Developing reproducible chemical / pharmaceutical tests that have sufficient sensitivity is a painstaking process. A test can’t just be whipped up, and in this case it wouldn’t have broader use. I think the request is just some razzle dazzle being thrown out there to sow doubt.

For me the bottom line is that both samples were positive for a substance that is tested for routinely and shouldn’t have been present. Medina Spirits connections would have been better served by saying that the horse received the medication under a vet’s direction enough days ahead of the race that it should have been metabolized and for whatever reason MS was slow to clear it. But they didn’t.

[Zonderpaard]

You know what sux? The talking heads will blather endlessly abt this rather than the Belmont this weekend .

[skydy]

@frugalannie

For me the bottom line is that both samples were positive for a substance that is tested for routinely and shouldn’t have been present. Medina Spirits connections would have been better served by saying that the horse received the medication under a vet’s direction enough days ahead of the race that it should have been metabolized and for whatever reason MS was slow to clear it. But they didn’t.

No they sure didn’t. Who knows what the owner knew. Quite possible he knew nothing. He’d hired a professional trainer to train the horse after all, and no doubt had paid him well.
One might well expect the horse not to have race day banned medications in it’s system.

[skydy]

True, but we can thank Baffert for the distraction.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@skydy

He’s already admitted to the ointment though. Too late for “sabotage” or “contamination”.
He’s backed himself into a corner. If the inert ointment ingredients don’t show up he’ll be considered to have lied and to have had the horse’s joint injected. If they do show up, he still has a horse with a medication positive and looks like a moron for not being more careful, especially after all of the platitudes and bunk he spouted the last time he was busted.

I think this is what I was trying to say but you said it better

[Event_Horse]

So, to all of the Baffert groupies who’ve been posting on the various MyRacehorse facebook pages about how they stand with Bob and were upset that Spendthrift and MRH pulled their horses from him as a trainer, I have one question: Do you still stand with Bob and want him training the 2-year-olds you invested in knowing that, even if they would be successful on the track, they cannot be entered in the Derby next year? Hmmm?

[ASB_Stars]

When, not if, the testing verifies that the horse was injected, and that the ointment deal is a red herring, I just wonder what the owner will do? He’s new enough to racing that perhaps he won’t rock the boat, but he may have a really lovely case against Baffert, and wouldn’t that be fun?

[Laurierace]

@ASB_Stars

injected, and that the ointment deal is a red herring, I just wonder what the owner will do? He’s new enough to racing that perhaps he won’t rock the boat, but he may have a really lovely case against Baffert, and wouldn’t that be fu

I don’t think it will ever be proven he was injected but if somehow it was I am sure they will provide documentation that shows he was injected more than 14 days out and therefore didn’t metabolize correctly.

[ASB_Stars]

@Laurierace

don’t think it will ever be proven he was injected but if somehow it was I am sure they will provide documentation that shows he was injected more than 14 days out and therefore didn’t metabolize correctly.

Agreed!