Yes. I would think this just strengthens their case for doing so. Too bad something wasn’t done regarding the positive test of Justify in his qualifying race for the Derby.
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That matter is being hashed out in court. The connections of Bolt d’Oro, the second placed horse, have sued to have Justify disqualified.
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Huh. Interesting. Is there any sort of precedent regarding a time limit on retroactive disqualifications? It seems like the water is long under the bridge on Justify. And a lot of stud fees already spent based on the idea that he is a Triple Crown winner.
I can’t answer the question about time limit but I do agree with him that Justify should have been disqualified and therefore not eligible to run in the Derby. Not sure if I would be able to let that one lie myself either.
As far as the breeders go I wouldn’t think any ruling now would change anything. He did win the triple crown, that isn’t in question.
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Except if he should not have been allowed to run in the Derby, or if he were disqualified from the Derby after the fact, that would mean he could not or did not win the Triple Crown.
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No it wouldn’t. He never should have been in the Derby but he was and he did win it as he did the other two races of the triple crown. He wouldn’t be DQ’ed from the Derby if somehow this litigation produced a DQ. He would be DQed from the Santa Anita Derby.
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The lawsuit, if successful, would only affect the results of the Santa Anita Derby, and there was some shady behavior by the CHRB going on, that’s for sure.
The rest of Justify’s wins are not the issue here. I don’t foresee anyone trying to undo the Derby, Preakness or the Belmont results. As you said, that’s water under the bridge.
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FYI, our local news has this info from the CHRB:
The California Horse Racing Board said it will honor Baffert’s suspension at its tracks. He is based at Santa Anita, where he has already won some of this season’s 3-year-old prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
The CHRB also said it will honor any stay or preliminary injunction if granted by Kentucky racing officials or a court.
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Does anyone think that his suspension will be stayed? I would be surprised if it was. Of course it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been surprised at a court ruling…
What do you mean by stayed? If you mean not go into effect until after the suspension appeal is heard and ruled upon which is how I read stayed to mean there is 100% chance it will be.
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Yes, that is what I meant by stayed. So you think it’s not likely to happen either, yes?
Re-reading the article, it sounds as though, if an appeal is made the suspension won’t go into effect until the results of the appeal are decided. Am I reading it wrong? “The suspension, pending an appeal will go into effect”…
That was supposed to say 100%, sorry. My keyboard is wonky today. Suspensions are automatically stayed when an appeal is filed. It probably is already but if not will be in a day or two.
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I was wondering at your 10%. 
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Hooray for the judgment! However I am tempering my excitement as I see the appeal train coming and know that his perfectly timed triple crown suspension will be delayed for months until late November or some other convenient time.
If only suspensions were served DURING the appeal process…
And that’s unfortunate because the coverup by the CHRB changed the outcome of the 2018 Derby. If not for that, Justify would not have been eligible. Good Magic would have been the winner - or maybe someone else that would have been in the field if not for Justify bumping their entry. Sure, they won’t try to undo the Derby, but it still rankles as they knew of the positive test before the Derby and the coverup wasn’t revealed until September.
So, it wasn’t just the 2021 Derby that Baffert tainted. The racing industry needs to get serious about lengths of suspensions and fines. What’s $7,500 to Baffert?
Edited to add: the difference in purse money between 1st and 2nd in the 2018 Derby was $1,032,000.
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It is too bad that the CHRB tainted the process and thus many races after the Santa Anita Derby. There was a lot of purse money involved in both the S.A. Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Hopefully the decision will be upheld and the connections that ran clean horses will get their due.
I can’t imagine that the decision will be overturned. I don’t see how it could happen.
Hopefully the appeal process will be swift and we’ll finally see the end of this.
Feel sorry for the jockey, John Velasquez. One of the most talented and honorable in the sport. He gave Medina Spirit a great ride every time. Hope he gets another Derby to replace this one.
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From TDN; “This is round one and we are going to fight this thing until the end,” owner Amr Zedan said. “Bob has my full support and backing. We’re going to do whatever it takes to vindicate ‘Medina’ and make sure he is declared the official winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. We will see this through and do whatever it takes.”
What a drag. 
