Racetracks ratchet up pressure on beleaguered Baffert

Welcome to the latest installment of the melodramatic bid I similar to telephone “As the Baffert Turns (On A Spit).”

In our past episode, you’ll recall, our protagonist, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, escaped a perilous summertime of not being allowed to participate horses astatine Saratoga erstwhile a federal justice overturned his suspension by the New York Racing Association implicit Medina Springs’ positive cause trial aft the Kentucky Derby.

The crippled — arsenic plots are wont to bash — has thickened, with Baffert erstwhile much tied to the figurative bid tracks by his nemeses, Churchill Downs Inc. and the New York Racing Association.

NYRA connected Friday informed the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner that it had scheduled a proceeding connected Sept. 27 to find whether helium has engaged successful “conduct that is detrimental to the champion interests of the athletics of thoroughbred racing oregon perchance injurious to the wellness oregon information of horses oregon riders.” If it determines helium has, a caller suspension oregon prohibition is expected.

The aforesaid day, Churchill Downs announced a caller argumentation intelligibly written with him successful mind: No equine trained by an idiosyncratic suspended by the racetrack volition beryllium awarded points successful the 2021-22 “Road to the Kentucky Derby” program.

Since that is the lone mode a equine tin suffice for the 148th moving of the Derby successful May, the racetrack was fundamentally telling Baffert clients with talented 2-year-olds that they volition not get a accidental to tally for the roses if they basal by their man.

While the racetrack operators play hardball, the Breeders’ Cup has not yet made a pronouncement connected whether entries by Baffert volition beryllium accepted for that marquee two-day lawsuit Nov. 5-6 astatine Del Mar. Baffert volition beryllium eligible to contention nether existent Breeders’ Cup rules unless its Board of Directors intervenes to artifact his participation.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to render a verdict connected Medina Spirit’s affirmative trial for the steroid betamethasone, a therapeutic cause that indispensable wide a horse’s strategy by contention time nether the state’s racing rules.

The crushed for the delay: Both parties to a suit filed by Baffert are inactive awaiting the results of testing connected the colt’s urine, a defence strategy aimed astatine showing the affirmative trial was the effect of accidental contamination from a topical pick alternatively than an effort to cheat.

There’s much to unpack here, but for now, we permission Baffert successful a perilous position. As they utilized to accidental connected the radio, enactment tuned.

Belmont stakes, Woodbine Mile apical action

Belmont Park is backmost successful action, with a trio of Saturday stakes topped by the $1 cardinal Jockey Club Derby and the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

In the former, Grade 1-winner Bolshoi Ballet and Group 2-victor Yibir caput a tract of 8 sophomores successful the 12-furlong turf test, a “Win and You’re In” contention for the $4 cardinal Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The Oaks, tally astatine 1⅜ miles implicit the interior turf course, has an planetary flavor, with Godolphin’s Creative Flair and Flaxman Stable’s Group 3 victor Harajuku crossing the pond to instrumentality connected 5 American-based contenders.

Woodbine besides has a bully array of stakes connected its Saturday menu, capped by the $1 cardinal Woodbine Mile, a “Win and You’re In” stepping chromatic to the Breeders’ Cup Mile .

The Mile looks similar a coagulated betting race, with March to the Arch, 8-1 connected the greeting line, my apical pick. He’ll person to conquer Set Piece (5-2) and Raging Bull (2-1) to get the occupation done.

Mike Brunker’s equine racing file appears Fridays. He tin beryllium reached astatine mbrunker@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker connected Twitter.