Churchill Downs lifts suspension of trainer Bob Baffert after failed doping test at Medina Spirit | Sport

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Churchill Downs has lifted Bob Baffert’s extended suspension, allowing the Hall of Fame trainer to race his horses again at the historic track and partner facilities after he was banned from racing for more than three years due to a failed drug test by ultimately disqualified 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.

The surprise announcement came Friday after Baffert issued a statement accepting responsibility for the now-deceased stallion Medina Spirit’s failed drug test after he crossed the finish line at the 147th Kentucky Derby in May 2021. The following winter, Kentucky racing stewards disqualified Medina Spirit, and Churchill Downs elevated runner-up Mandaloun to the Derby winner.

Churchill Downs said in a press release that it was pleased that Baffert had taken responsibility while serving his sentence and committed to complying with the regulations.

“All parties agree that it is time to close this chapter and focus on the future. Baffert is welcome to return to any of CDI’s racetracks, including our flagship racetrack Churchill Downs, and we wish him and his connections the best of luck in their future competitive endeavors,” Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc., said in the statement.

The trainer, who has won the Triple Crown twice, frequently criticized the ban and had unsuccessfully sued Churchill Downs. Last year, the company extended the ban through the end of 2024 in response to subsequent criticism. Medina Spirit’s owner, Zedan Racing Stables, had sued to end the trainer’s disciplinary action this spring in order to get his Baffert-trained Arkansas Derby winner Muth into the 150th Derby.

Baffert, 71, acknowledged that he paid a “very high price” with the suspension and disqualification while taking responsibility for the substances in the horses he trained. He also said he appreciated that the track and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which enforces the rules, felt it was 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 without any more distractions or negativity,” Baffert added. “I’m really looking forward to returning to Churchill Downs and being reinstated in the Winner’s Circle.”

The suspension ultimately denied Baffert his seventh Kentucky Derby victory, which would be a record, and damaged the reputation of a trainer who is considered the poster boy of horse racing.

More importantly, it prevented Baffert from competing in the race he loves most, at the track where his former stable, 33, was a must-stop for other horse lovers, media and countless tourists at the back – not to mention the strained relationship between the two sides.

Baffert’s absence was especially felt in this year’s 150th Derby – an epic race won by Mystik Dan in a three-horse photo finish, narrowly ahead of Sierra Leone and Forever Young.

But while Baffert was unable to take part in the most important horse race due to the ban at Churchill Downs, his horses were allowed to take part in other Triple Crown races. His colt National Treasure won the Preakness in Baltimore last year.

Friday’s announcement brought agreement and closure and opened the door for Baffert to once again run his horses under the Twin Spires on the biggest racing day of the year, the first Saturday in May.