I’ll bet a lot of the actual hands-on training is done by assistants.
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Below is just my humble opinion. I have zero inside knowledge.
I am convinced that Baffert went to the 2021 Derby with no thought of winning. MS was, what, his third or fourth string 3-year old? And past performances did not suggest the colt would get a mile and a quarter.
However, Baffert had a new, wealthy owner in tow. MS was cheap (~#35,000 as a two-year old). I’ll bet the plan was to wine and dine and party with the new owner and suggest how great it would be to come back with a really good (i.e., expensive) horse and win!
I think Baffert thought MS would go to the lead, give everyone a thrill, and fade, ideally to no better than 6th, since they test the first five. Then, oops, oh boy, well, let’s just hope for the best and brazen it out if necessary.
And I think Baffert did whatever he needed to do to get MS to the start.
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Even so. That’s still a lot of horses to organize and care for and work.
Just the thought of that much paperwork alone sends chills down my spine! Lol.
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That would be career suicide. No one would knowingly race a horse in the Derby that would test positive. Any horse can be specialed.
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True that!
And if he does eventually get punished, yes, it will have been career suicide. Also, the definition of hubris.
But so far, so good for Teflon Bob-he was able to race at Saratoga, MS has not yet been DQ’d from the Derby. Time will tell.
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…all this, and yet Medina Spirit still is the official winner of the 2021 Derby. Just DQ him already.
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Interesting. Will they take Baffert down?
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In a sales ad for an OTTB, it said the filly was “by Liasion, a Bob Baffert stallion.” Why would the trainer of the sire be of any significance? BTW - the mare had a large bone chip in the ankle and therefore could only be used as a broodmare. It said the mare was not registered, but could be.
My personal opinion only.
Liaison is/was a 2009 model racing the SoCal circuit 2011-2013, often in graded stakes with a reasonable decent record. He ran more races (18 with a record of 5-2-4) than one might see today.
If the filly was a recent sale, I suspect that saying Liaison was a BB trained horse might have an implied connection that Liaison was a good racehorse with possible aspirations to the top 3YO classic G1 stakes.
He was retired at the end of his 4YO season to Spendthrift where he stood initially in 2014 for $10,000 stands & nurses. He did retire sound which I would consider a positive comment, particularly after an 18 race career.
I would think the BB mention would be a deterrent. Great that the sire retired sound, but I, for one, would question how much of his racing success was natural talent / ability and how much of it was “enhanced.”
The filly is a 3 yr old. In 2019, Liason was moved to Mighty Acres in OK. His 2021 stud fee is $2,500 LFG. Sire’s record: https://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/166822/liaison
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So this interesting.
I’ve been going to the yearling sales for 20 years. In all that time BB has been very much in evidence in the early part of the sales (books 1 & 2) when the expensive horses sell. He marches around the grounds with his large entourage like a conquering hero. Everybody stops to greet him. The clients he buys for bask in his reflected glory. Horse handlers take note and position their sales yearlings to give him the best view. Bid spotters and auctioneers keep one eye on him at all times.
Well, not this year. Not now at the Keeneland September sale, which is currently going on. BB is wandering around all by himself. No one says hello. No one even acknowledges him. His “Avengers” group is buying horses like crazy–but even though they’re still standing by him publicly, they’re not standing next to him in real life.
By book 3 (starting today) usually he’d have already left town. Instead this morning he was in the back walking ring, trying to get oblivious handlers to stop walking so he could check out their yearlings. And really, no one cared what he was doing. No one was paying attention at all. I only noticed because he happened to be standing across from us.
Side note: usually when a yearling enters the ring, the announcer gives a one one minute description of the horse’s sire’s and dam’s accomplishments. Earlier when a colt by Protonico (sire of Medina Spirit) came in, the announcer just talked about the female family then said, “He’s by Protonico.”
Things are feeling pretty chilly in Kentucky. (And it’s about damn time.)
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[quote=“LaurieB, post:714, topic:759608, full:true”]
Very interesting. That must sting, but he had it coming.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who was wondering how long owners would keep tolerating their horses being DQd.
Wondering if your horse is being used in an experiment by BB, to see how well different performance enhancing substances will work, must be unpleasant to say the least. I don’t blame people for looking elsewhere.
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No kidding.
@LaurieB . Thanks for the ‘live’ observations from the sale. I can imagine the ‘entourage’ that BB would have. Must be nice to observe the crickets in person. Maybe people are getting the message that he plays fast and loose with, basically, other people’s $$ and animal’s lives.
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Breeders Cup Board Begins Review of Baffert today (9/18/21).
“Attorneys for Baffert declined comment”
Guess they have till Oct 25th to come to a deicsion.
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The Breeders Cup Board includes many people with financial connections to Baffert, including newly elected Chair Barbara Banke.
In other words, BB is scratching Medina Spirit and a filly in another race so they can run at Santa Anita where officials are more “friendly” to his indiscretions.
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And often, not always, “easier” fields…
This move scratching his horses, at least Medina Spirit, because he didn’t like his post position draw (between the likely two other speed horses in the field) just, for me, was 
. Man up and run your horse in the field as it was drawn, don’t pick up your marbles and go home.
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I didn’t think he’d take this sitting down, and it is another reason to stay on the left coast, for now.
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So, they filed it. I do find it interesting that the HYRA added new rules so recently that obviously are intended to allow them to come after Baffert. Whether he deserves it or not, that’s kind of over the top when you are actively dancing with the person you’ve designed the rules to punish.
