Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Friday the suspension of Bob Baffert from racetracks is rescinded effective immediately.
Baffert was suspended in 2021 after Kentucky Derby 147 winner Medina Spirit’s post-race sample tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid medication.
The sample, taken after the Derby, tested positive for just over twice the allowed limit of the drug. Baffert said the sample came from a topical ointment which was used for treating a skin condition.
Medina Spirit was disqualified as the winner and Churchill Downs issued a two-year suspension to Baffert following the results of the drug test. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission upheld the suspension in a unanimous vote in March 2022.
In July 2023, Churchill Downs Inc. extended Baffert’s suspension through 2024 based on “continuous concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks,” according to the release.
The decision to end the suspension follows a statement released by Baffert earlier Friday that said, “I accept responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive test in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. 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.”
Source: WAVE
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