{"id":1364065,"date":"2021-05-18T19:16:05","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T23:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1364065"},"modified":"2021-05-18T19:16:06","modified_gmt":"2021-05-18T23:16:06","slug":"new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/tag\/sports\/\">sports<\/a>\u00a0story of the day should have been, \u201cFamed Trainer Takes Unheralded Horse and Wins Kentucky Derby.\u201d Instead, the story devolved into failed drug tests and disgrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with the events that transpired following America\u2019s most famous horse race, trainer Bob Baffert still entered Kentucky Derby champ Medina Spirit in the second leg of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/how-many-racehorses-have-won-the-triple-crown\/\">the Triple Crown<\/a>, where the horse finished third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, New York is standing up to Baffert in a way Kentucky and Maryland didn\u2019t, banning him from racing in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bob-baffert-is-the-most-successful-triple-crown-horse-racing-trainer-of-all-time\"><strong>Bob Baffert is the most successful Triple Crown horse racing trainer of all time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg?strip=all&#038;quality=89\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Bob Baffert | Photographer: Luke Sharrett\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/many-people-attend-kentucky-derby-churchill-downs\/\"><strong>How Many People Attend the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baffert, 68, once told\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/05\/15\/us\/bob-baffert-medina-spirit-controversy-spt-intl-trnd\/index.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN<\/a>, \u201cIf there\u2019s a heaven it\u2019s in that (Churchill Downs) winner\u2019s circle.\u201d He should know. The trainer has stood in that circle a record seven times, which is more than any other in the history of horse racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baffert trained his first\u00a0Kentucky Derby\u00a0horse in 1996 and came in second. The following year, his horse Silver Charm won the Derby and was a second-place finish in the Belmont away from the vaunted Triple Crown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Arizona-born-and-raised trainer would experience the same results the next year as well. In 1998, Real Quiet won the first two Triple Crown races before again coming in second in the final\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/2020-wont-be-the-first-time-the-belmont-stakes-comes-before-the-kentucky-derby\/\">race on the Long Island\/Queens border<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2002 War Emblem would get to the exact same spot. The big breakthrough for Baffert, though, eventually came in 2015 when American Pharaoh joined the ranks of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/the-5-most-famous-racehorses-of-all-time\/\">most famous Triple Crown winners<\/a>\u00a0ever: Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Seabiscuit, and Man O\u2019 War.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wouldn\u2019t be the last trifecta for the white-haired, sunglasses-wearing trainer. In 2018, he won the Triple Crown for a second time with Justify, a descendent of Seattle Slew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-baffert-s-kentucky-derby-winning-horse-tested-positive-for-banned-substances\"><strong>Baffert\u2019s Kentucky Derby-winning horse tested positive for banned substances<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW: Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit passed a drug test and will run in tomorrow\u2019s Preakness Stakes.<br><br>The colt, trained by racing legend Bob Baffert, was found to have traces of a banned steroid in its system after the Derby. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/chycQtDoki\">https:\/\/t.co\/chycQtDoki<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EaV6OM3sOh\">pic.twitter.com\/EaV6OM3sOh<\/a><\/p>&mdash; CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBSEveningNews\/status\/1393344622575955971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 14, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/ken-griffey-jr-reveals-why-he-didnt-take-steroids-during-his-legendary-career\/\">Steroid scandals<\/a>\u00a0are nothing new in sports, but it makes you sit up and take notice when it involves a horse instead of a human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is precisely what happened following the 2021 Kentucky Derby. After Baffert and Medina Spirit graced the winner\u2019s circle, news came out that the horse tested positive for a banned steroid called betamethasone. The drug is a \u201ccorticosteroid sometimes used to relieve joint pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Derby incident isn't the first time a Baffert horse got popped for this steroid recently, either. A horse named Gamine tested positive last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In all, four Baffert horses have failed drug tests during the previous 12 months. One instance even led to a 15-day suspension from the Arkansas Racing Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For his part, Baffert seems to have an excuse every time. After Gamine tested positive, he pledged to stop using betamethasone. These excuses are getting harder to buy, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After Medina Spirit tested positive, Baffert blamed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/bob-baffert-desperately-blames-grooms-urine-cancel-culture-kentucky-derby-medina-spirits-failed-drug-test\/\">a groom\u2019s urine and cancel culture<\/a>\u201d for the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-york-just-banned-baffert-from-all-races-including-the-belmont\"><strong>New York just banned Baffert from all races, including the Belmont <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NYRA announces suspension of Bob Baffert<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kwkdPwpQrR\">https:\/\/t.co\/kwkdPwpQrR<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NYRA (\ud83c\udf33) (@TheNYRA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheNYRA\/status\/1394386997834301442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 17, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/the-best-horse-jockeys-of-all-time\/\"><strong>The Best Horse Jockeys of All Time<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medina Spirit is still officially the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The state\u2019s racing association is awaiting a second blood test\u2019s results before they make a final decision. With no decision from Kentucky, the Maryland racing authorities let Medina Spirit run the Preakness. Baffert decided not to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Less than three weeks ahead of the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) suspended Baffert from New York racetracks, including Belmont, which hosts the Belmont Stakes on June 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyra.com\/belmont\/news\/nyra-suspends-bob-baffert\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a> released May 17, the NYRA announced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The (NYRA) today announced the temporary suspension of Bob Baffert from entering horses in races and occupying stall space at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack\u2026 Mr. Baffert publicly acknowledged that the Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, a banned corticosteroid that would trigger a disqualification and loss of purse money should a split sample return the same finding.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The statement went on to say that it wasn\u2019t just the Medina Spirit situation that led to the suspension. The NYRA continues to explain their process, saying that they also have \u201ctaken into account the fact that other horses trained by Mr. Baffert have failed drug tests in the recent past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This suspension is a major blow to Baffert and his legendary status in the horseracing game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/horse-racing\/story\/_\/id\/31462471\/trainer-bob-baffert-banned-entering-medina-spirit-other-horses-belmont-park\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ESPN<\/a>, the trainer didn\u2019t plan to enter a horse in the main event in New York in June, but there are \u201cmany in consideration for other races on Belmont Stakes day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Like <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Sports7dotcom\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Sports7<\/em><\/a><em> on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sports719\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>@sports719<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":1364068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4898],"tags":[19090,4823],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v22.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal - Sports7<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Legendary trainer Bob Baffert&#039;s Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Legendary trainer Bob Baffert&#039;s Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports7\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-18T23:16:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-18T23:16:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"833\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tim Crean\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@twcrean\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tim Crean\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/\",\"name\":\"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal - 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He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike &amp; The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer \u2014 with a Manchester City focus \u2014 in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.\",\"sameAs\":[\"\",\"twcrean\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tim-crean-78785622\/\",\"\",\"\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Tim Crean | Sports7 Staff Writer, Producer\",\"email\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal - Sports7","description":"Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal","og_description":"Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.","og_url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/","og_site_name":"Sports7","article_published_time":"2021-05-18T23:16:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-05-18T23:16:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1250,"height":833,"url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tim Crean","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@twcrean","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tim Crean","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/","url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/","name":"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal - Sports7","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-18T23:16:05+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-18T23:16:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#\/schema\/person\/3c64130dc33c55e64c149d1269d9c32e"},"description":"Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby-winning horse failed a drug test and now he is banned from New York racetracks.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Bob-Baffert.jpg","width":1250,"height":833,"caption":"Bob Baffert | Photographer: Luke Sharrett\/Bloomberg via Getty Images"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/new-york-bans-bob-baffert-belmont-horse-drugging-scandal\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New York Bans Bob Baffert from Belmont for Horse-Drugging Scandal"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/","name":"Sports7","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#\/schema\/person\/3c64130dc33c55e64c149d1269d9c32e","url":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/author\/timcrean\/","name":"Tim Crean","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c51cd9ed0a65a3fa7f294aa35badb74?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c51cd9ed0a65a3fa7f294aa35badb74?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tim Crean"},"description":"Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sports7 in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike &amp; The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer \u2014 with a Manchester City focus \u2014 in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.","sameAs":["","twcrean","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tim-crean-78785622\/","",""],"jobTitle":"Tim Crean | Sports7 Staff Writer, Producer","email":""}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364065"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1364065"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1364091,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1364065\/revisions\/1364091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1364068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1364065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1364065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1364065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}