DERBY/OAKS TRAINER SUSPENSION – Points from any race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks will not be awarded to any horse trained by any individual who is suspended from racing in the 2024 Kentucky Derby or 2024 Kentucky Oaks or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer. Should a horse trained by a suspended trainer, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer, finish in a position that would have earned points in a Road to the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks race, the points associated with that finish position will be vacated.

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Zedan Legal Filing: CDI Defense to His Suit ‘Perverse’

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Churchill Downs Cites Anti-SLAPP Act Against Zedan Suit

TDN – T.D. Thornton – Report: CDI Files Motion To Dismiss Zedan’s Derby Lawsuit

Paulick Report – Bob Baffert In Kentucky Derby? Kentucky Judge Schedules April 15 Hearing

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Zedan Seeks Injunction Lifting Baffert Ban

Paulick Report – It’s Official: Mandaloun Declared Winner Of 2021 Kentucky Derby

It’s All Over Now

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Court Order Officially Dismisses Medina Spirit Appeal

Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – Baffert, Zedan Dropping Appeal of Medina Spirit Case

Horse Racing Nation – Baffert horses must move by Jan. 29, or no Kentucky Derby

TDN – T.D. Thornton – Facing Extortion Allegations, Defendants in Defamation Lawsuit Contend ‘Baffert is the Rare Libel-Proof Plaintiff’

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Baffert Seeks Default Judgment in Defamation Suit

Phil says it’s time for all horse players who are on Twitter (X) to start ~~bashing~~ responding to that fucking asshole Not that @swifthitter.

@swifthitter sure flaps his jaws at lot, but then hides behind his mother’s skirt when the bailiffs come looking for him. When they came to serve him was he in the basement of his mother’s trailer.

Rhetoric is a poor substitute for action, and we have trusted only to rhetoric. If we are really to be a great nation, we must not merely talk; we must act big.

Theodore Roosevelt

Talk doesn’t cook rice.

Chinese Proverb

Talk that does not end in any kind of action is better suppressed altogether.

Thomas Carlyle

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Medina Spirit Appeal Says Racing Regs Unconstitutional

TDN – Gregg Slager – Letter To The Editor: Churchill’s ‘Unprecedented’ Suspension Of Baffert

TDN – Baffert/Zedan File New Medina Spirit Appeal

Bloodhorse – Frank Angst and Byron King – Veterinary Board Disciplines Medina Spirit’s Track Vet

Paulick Report – Natalie Voss – Dead Horse’s Medical Records Cast Light On Baffert’s Evolving Relationship With Betamethasone

Phil has a question:

Should a horse that requires an injection of a steroid in a joint ever race again.

When will HISA run all of the horse racing fatalities through a database and search for medical or medical treatment commonalities.

Bloodhorse – Lauren Gash – KHRC Upholds Medina Spirit DQ; Case Headed to Court

TDN – TD Thornton – Medina Spirit’s Derby DQ Upheld at KHRC Level, Ripening Case for Court Challenge

The Athletic – Dana O’Neil – Churchill Downs extends Bob Baffert’s suspension through 2024

Horse Racing Nation – Churchill Downs extends Baffert suspension through 2024

Bloodhorse – Downey – Churchill Downs Extends Ban of Baffert Through 2024

Paulick Report – Churchill Downs Extends Bob Baffert Suspension Through 2024, Saying Trainer ‘Continues To Peddle A False Narrative’

Bloodhorse – Downey – Judge: Stewards’ Action in Justify Case Lacks Clarity

Bloodhorse – Hearing Officer Upholds Medina Spirit DQ

Paulick Report – Hearing Officer Upholds Medina Spirit DQ, Baffert Suspension

Bloodhorse – Churchill Statement on Favorable Federal Court Ruling

TDN – Thornton – Judge Dismisses Baffert’s Lone Remaining Claim Against CDI

Bloodhorse – Downey – Judge Dismisses Baffert Federal Case Against Churchill

Bloodhorse – Downey – Medina Spirit DQ Recommendation Could Come in April

DRF – Hegarty – Baffert attorneys raise new issues in KHRC appeal

Paulick Report – Ray Paulick – View From The Eighth Pole: In Baffert-Churchill Battle, There Are No Winners

Bloodhorse – Downey – Court Ruling Leaves CDI Suspension of Baffert In Place

TDN – Thornton – Baffert Denied Injunction To Race in Derby; CDI Prevails In 5 of 6 Counts for Dismissal

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Churchill Downs Returns Fire at Baffert Recusal Motion

Bloodhorse – Downey – Baffert Motion Asks Judge to Recuse from CDI Case

Horse Race Insider – Horse Racing Nation – Flatter – QUIET ON STAGE PLEASE, READY, INACTION

Sal says that CDI and thoroughbred racing in general need to watch Roger Goodell and the NFL in action with their magic broom that sweeps the dirt under the carpet while telling football fan’s that everything’s better than ever and we’ll have a bigger and better show in the future.

CBS Sports – Roger Goodell speaks ahead of 2023 Super Bowl, says ‘TNF’ flex scheduling possible, addresses ref fuss, more

Sal says that the Goodell’s State of the Union address got more press than Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, a telling fact about what really matters to the average American.

Bloodhorse – Byron King – Baffert Takes Stand in Preliminary Injunction Hearing

Bloodhorse – Byron King – Lawyers Spar in Baffert Preliminary Injunction Hearing

ESPN – AP – New York suspension ends for horse trainer Bob Baffert

Paulick Report – Baffert Derby Drama: Owners Must Transfer 3-Year-Olds By Feb. 28 To Earn Kentucky Derby Points

TDN – Thornton – CDI Argues Court Win By Baffert Would Harm Other Derby Qualifiers

TDN – Thornton – Baffert: CDI ‘Appears to Misunderstand’ Its Own Derby Qualifying Rules

Bloodhorse – Downey – Briefs, Not New Hearing, Ordered in Medina Spirit Case

DRF – Hegarty – Eden Davis Stephens named new hearing officer in Baffert suspension appeal

Paulick Report – New Hearing Officer Named For Baffert-Medina Spirit Case

Bloodhorse – Downey – Appearance of Impropriety Led to Medina Spirit Recusal

Patrick’s departure figures to delay the long-running case yet again. A new hearing officer may want to hold another appeal hearing—the one that concluded Aug. 30 lasted six days—or the new hearing officer might opt to merely review transcripts from the case.

Bloodhorse – Byron King – Auction Buy Leads to Shake Up in Medina Spirit Appeal

TDN – Report: Hearing Officer in Medina Spirit Derby DQ Case Recuses Himself

According to Brewster, at the most recent conference, Patrick asked, “How do you want to handle this?”

Brewster said he had no problem with Patrick continuing on in his role as hearing officer but said KHRC attorney Jennifer Wolsing indicated the commission would file a motion for Patrick to recuse himself. (Wolsing did not respond to questions sent via email but a spokesperson replied to confirm the recusal, citing a “conflict of interest,” adding “next steps will be determined by a new hearing officer, once assigned.”)

Paulick Report – Hearing Officer In Baffert-Medina Spirit Case Recuses Himself

Horse Racing Nation – Report: Plot twist in the Baffert-Medina Spirit case in Kentucky

Bloodhorse – Byron King – Medina Spirit Hearing Concludes After Closing Arguments

Who Am I

TDN – Petrunyak – Baffert Returns to Stand for Sixth and Final DQ Appeal Session

Horse Racing Nation – Baffert hearing: Zedan, Hall of Fame trainer are final 2 witnesses

TDN – Petrunyak – Route of Administration Argument Continues in Day 5 of Derby DQ Appeal

Horse Racing Nation – Flatter – Baffert hearing: Scientists spar Monday; trainer is on deck

Bloodhorse – Byron King – Scollay: Otomax Problematic as Medina Spirit Treatment

Bloodhorse – Angst – In Baffert Appeal, an Expert Weighs in on Betamethasone

TDN – Gordon – Getting Down to the Science of It All In Medina Spirit DQ Appeal

Bloodhorse – Angst – Medina Spirit DQ Appeal Takes Deep Dive Into KHRC Rules

TDN – Gordon – KHRC Rules the Focus On Day 2 of Medina Spirit DQ Appeal

Horse Racing Nation – Live updates: Kentucky hearing on Bob Baffert’s appeal, day 1

Paulick Report – Baffert Appeals, Asks KHRC To Remove Already-Served Suspension From His Record

TDN – Thornton – Baffert Takes Stand in Day One of ’21 Derby DQ Appeal

Bloodhorse – Angst – KHRC, Baffert’s Legal Team Present Arguments at Appeal

Horse Racing Nation – Flatter – Baffert appeals to Ky. commission to erase suspension

Paulick Report – Letter To The Editor: The Medina Spirit/Otomax Theory Really Isn’t That Complicated; It Also Doesn’t Nullify DQ

Bloodhorse – Downey – NY Judge Orders Disclosure of Maylin Research Records

Bloodhorse – Downey – Prosecutors Poised to Bolster Medina Spirit DQ Case

Paulick Report – Voss – House Of Cards? No Betamethasone In Medina Spirit’s Pre-Race Testing For Derby

Paulick Report – Voss – Maylin Deposition May Lay Groundwork For Commission To Question Medina Spirit/Otomax Theory

Paulick Report – Voss – I Read Several Hundred Pages Of Emails And Transcripts From The Medina Spirit Case So You Don’t Have To

Bloodhorse – Downey – Maylin: Medina Spirit Final Research a Long Way Off

Bloodhorse – Downey – Maylin: Medina Spirit’s KY Derby Participation ‘Folly’

Bloodhorse – NYRA Panel Suspends Baffert Through Jan. 25, 2023

TDN – Bill Finley – Baffert Issued 365-Day Suspension at NYRA Tracks; Can Return in January

Paulick Report – ‘Protecting The Integrity Of The Sport’: Bob Baffert Suspended From NYRA Tracks For One Year

TDN – Bill Finley – Rick Dutrow Nearing Return?

TDN – CDI: Baffert ‘Broke Rules, Must Bear Consequences’

Bloodhorse – Downey – Baffert Responds to Churchill Downs Motion to Dismiss

ESPN – Suspended Hall of Fame horse racing trainer Bob Baffert fights to save Medina Spirit’s legacy, denies cheating

The de-Baffertization of Churchill is a stark reminder of his abrupt fall from grace and the bitter battle that has ensued between the most famous person and most famous venue in U.S. horse racing. When his record-breaking seventh Derby champion, Medina Spirit, was found to have failed a drug test after last year’s Run for the Roses, it set in motion a chain of events that resulted in Baffert’s two-year ban from Churchill Downs and Medina Spirit’s disqualification as the winner.

Sports Illustrated – Forde – Trainer Bob Baffert Won’t Be at the Kentucky Derby, but Racing Still Can’t Shake Him

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Hayward – A long and winding road: why NYRA has every right to recommend a two-year suspension for Bob Baffert

Paulick Report – Voss – NYRA Hearing Officer Recommends Two-Year Ban For Baffert

TDN – Thornton – Baffert, Zedan Again Denied Relief in KY Court of Appeals

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Appeals Court Orders Outright Dismissal of Baffert Case

Paulick Report – Irwin: Why The Bob Baffert Case Is So Important To Horse Racing’s Future

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – KHRC Hearing Delayed in Medina Spirit Disqualification

DRF – Hegarty – Baffert’s appeal of Kentucky suspension delayed to June 28

Paulick Report – Letter To The Editor: Dear Kentucky, You Might Need Bob Baffert

Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – Baffert Files to Withdraw Legal Action Against CDI

DRF – Andersen – Sean McCarthy, Tim Yakteen to take over training of Baffert horses

TDN – 1/ST Issues Statement on Baffert Suspension

Kentucky Supreme Court

Phil has a question:

Does Baffert have still another Appeal.

TDN – Baffert’s Ownership Group Clarifies Move of Horses

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Court of Appeals Rebuffs Baffert Suspension Stay Motion

Paulick Report – Appellate Court Denies Baffert’s Motion For Emergency Stay; Trainer’s Suspension To Begin April 4

ESPN – AP – Kentucky appeals court denies Bob Baffert’s motion for stay; suspension to begin Monday

Looks like Baffert’s Barrister Battalion bungled the appeal process and got themselves mired in a swamp of Kentucky hicks.

TDN – Thornton – One Step Forward, One Back in Baffert’s Derby-Driven Legal Odyssey

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – KHRC Files Motion to Dismiss Baffert Appeal

Phil has a question:

Did Baffert’s Barrister Battalion bungle it.

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – KHRC: Venue Not a Problem, But No Stay for Baffert

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Churchill Argues Against ‘Judicial Takeover’ of Derby

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Court Questions if Baffert Case Was Properly Filed

TDN – Thornton – More Confusion Added to Baffert Appeal Process

Phil has a question:

Could you say there appears to be a fly in the ointment.

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Baffert Turns to Court of Appeals in Suspension Case

Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Churchill Downs Seeks Dismissal of Gamblers’ KY Lawsuit

TDN – Thornton – Baffert, Zedan Escalate Appeals to Higher Kentucky Court

Bloodhorse – Ehalt and Byron King – Messier, Other Baffert 3-Year-Olds to Join Other Barns

DRF – Privman – Messier, three other Kentucky Derby prospects moved from Baffert’s barn

Horse Racing Nation – Baffert sends 4 Kentucky Derby prospects to new trainers

TDN – Four Baffert Derby Hopefuls Moving to Other Trainers

Horse Racing Nation – Greer – Baffert’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls: Where are they now?

TDN – Ross – CHRB Elaborates on Specifics of Baffert Suspension

Bloodhorse – Eric Mitchell – Kentucky Court Denies Baffert Stay of Suspension

TDN – Petrunyak – Familiar Arguments at Hearing for Baffert’s Stay of Suspension

Bloodhorse – KY Commission Denies Stay, Baffert Case Back to Court

Brewster later distributed the following statement to media:

“KHRC’s decision is a sudden, arbitrary departure from its own 100-year precedent and from the general practice of courts everywhere in the United States. Let’s be clear: This is part of a continuing coordinated attack against Bob by powerful forces that are rife with ethical and business conflicts and that want to keep Bob’s horses from competing against theirs at the track. We look forward to obtaining a stay in an impartial, unbiased court of law.”

“Let’s also remember that the facts and law in the overall case are on Bob’s side. Fact: Kentucky regulates only the injectable form of betamethasone acetate, and not the topical betamethasone valerate. Fact: Medina Spirit was treated with an ointment, not an injection. And fact: the amount detected could not have impacted the horse’s performance or the outcome of the Kentucky Derby.”

Paulick Report – Voss – Kentucky Commission Votes Not To Give Baffert A Stay

There is one other reason for dressing well, namely that dogs respect it, and will not attack you in good clothes.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Phil has a question:

What are the odds on Bob Baffert’s Barrister Battalion and where can you bet.

Times Union – LIberatore – Disgraced trainer Bob Baffert to remain in Racing Hall of Fame

Past The Wire – Appeal filed and Attorney Clark Brewster on Bob Baffert and the Medina Spirit positive test for betamethasone