Churchil Downs Inc. announced July 19 that the suspension of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and the horses he trains from racetracks owned and operated by CDI is rescinded, effective immediately. The action follows a lawsuit filed by Zedan Racing Stables, which unsuccessfully sought an injunction allowing Muth to race in the Kentucky Derby (G1), being dismissed, as reported earlier Friday by BloodHorse.
The decision was detailed in a statement from CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen.
“We are satisfied that Mr. Baffert has taken responsibility for his actions, completed a substantial penalty, and is committed to running in full compliance with the rules and regulations going forward. All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. Mr. Baffert is welcome to return to any of CDI’s racetracks, including our flagship Churchill Downs racetrack, and we wish him and his connections good luck in their future competitive endeavors.”
The Zedan Racing Stables case involving the dismissal was filed in early April in Jefferson Circuit Court in Louisville, Ky., which denied Amr Zedan’s motion to force Muth’s participation in the Derby but denied Churchill Downs Inc.’s request that the case be dismissed in its totality. Among other relief, the lawsuit sought an injunction that would void an extended ban of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert by CDI from all its tracks.
Baffert was originally ruled off by CDI June 2, 2021, and the ban was effective through the end of Churchill’s 2023 spring meeting. The move came on the heels of laboratory split-sample findings that 2021 Derby winner Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, an unlawful medication on race day in Kentucky.
In the meantime, Kentucky stewards disqualified Medina Spirit and suspended Baffert for 90 days.
On July 3, 2023, CDI tacked on an extension of the ban through the end of 2024 and subsequently wrote the 2024 Kentucky Derby race conditions to say no horse trained by Baffert as of Jan. 29 could be entered.
Although he knew of the condition well ahead of Jan. 29, Zedan kept Muth in Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita Park. Zedan credits Baffert with much of his stable’s success.
In addition to seeking a way into the Derby for Muth, Zedan also asked for “monetary damages.” Those claims are now being dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning they cannot be asserted again.
A release from CDI at the time of the ban extension said the ban would be in effect through the end of 2024. But with Friday’s announcement, those sanctions have now been lifted. The six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer can compete in the Derby again, along with all other races at CDI tracks.
“I accept responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive test in the 2021 Kentucky Derby,” Baffert wrote in a statement published on social media Friday. “I am responsible for any substance found in the horses that I train, and I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification of Medina Spirit’s performance. I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce the rules that they believed were necessary to protect the safety and integrity of horse racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby. My family and I want to put this behind us and get back to doing what we love to do without anymore distraction or negativity. I very much look forward to returning to Churchill Downs and getting back to the winner’s circle.”
