Bob Baffert
On this week's episode of the TDN Writers' Room, the writers remember Medina Spirit and discuss racing's ongoing crisis point. They're also joined by guest Clint Bentley, director of the upcoming drama film 'Jockey.'
The death of Medina Spirit (Protonico) following a workout Monday at Santa Anita has resulted in a predictable backlash, with at least two media outlets calling for the sport to be banned and readers of some of the nation's most prominent newspapers posting numerous vitriolic comments online. Here is a sampling of what has been written and said about horse racing following Monday's shocking news: The New York Post led the charge with Maureen Callahan writing a column with the headline "Medina Spirit's shocking death is yet another reason we...
As I sat down to write this column Monday, I got a text from a bloodstock agent that said, "Heard Medina Spirit broke down at Santa Anita a little while ago. Gonna be a shit storm." I checked Twitter right away, but there was nothing yet about Medina Spirit (Protonico). I didn't have to wait long. Some minutes later, the "I heard Medina Spirit..." tweets started trickling out, and then the dam burst. Everyone had something to say, and most of it was derogatory or innuendo about his trainer, Bob...
by Bill Finley & Dan Ross Medina Spirit (Protonico), the winner of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, died of an apparent heart attack following a five-furlong workout Monday morning at Santa Anita. The incident happened after Medina Spirit completed a five-furlong workout in 1:01.40. The breeze took place at about 7:45 Pacific Time. "I just heard. He had a heart attack," owner Amr Zedan said. "It was quick and he didn't suffer. It's unfortunate. In a moment like this there is not much that we can do. All I can...
Baoma Corporation's Eda became the latest Grade I winner for her red-hot sire Munnings with a gutsy score in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday night. Speeding out of the outside stall in this six-horse affair, the even-money favorite was in front rounding the first turn, but was headed by 40-1 shot and fellow Bob Baffert pupil Benedict Canyon (Midnight Lute) through a :23.65 first quarter. Meanwhile, their Grade I-winning stablemate Grace Adler (Curlin) caboosed the field. Eda regained command as the half went in :48.96, but Benedict...
The case of Bob Baffert has been, sad but fascinating to watch. It has served to be the perfect foil for agenda-driven companies and organizations to attach a face to 'the cause.' Due process and the right to defend oneself with veracity is the foundational tenet of this country. It protects citizens from overreaching by entities such as Churchill, NYRA and others banning Baffert from running at their tracks until adjudication is reached--not dictated. The actions of Churchill Downs clearly prioritize what we already know, which is that the value...
The legal teams for the trainer and owner of GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) jointly issued statements after 6:00 p.m. Friday stating that long-awaited split-sample testing has finally been completed on the colt's urine that "definitively confirmed" and has "scientifically proven" that the type of betamethasone that showed up in his post-race positive test is the type that comes from a topical ointment and not via an intra-articular injection. The distinction is important to trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables (Amr Zedan) because they believe the...
Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song), romping winner of last year's GIII Los Alamitos Derby, has been retired to Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud near Ocala, FL and will stand the 2022 season there for $6,500, LFSN. Campaigned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer by Bob Baffert, the $250,000 KEESEP yearling is out of MGSW/MGISP Forest Music (Unbridled's Song), making him a half to successful Kentucky-based sire Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor) and GSWs Kentuckian (Tiznow) and Electric Forest (Curlin). "I've seen Uncle Chuck...
Grace Adler (Curlin) was noticeably absent from the Breeders' Cup entries, but gets back to it Saturday in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos. A first-out winner at Del Mar July 31, the $700,000 FTKSEL buy made a mockery of the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante S. field, cruising home an 11 1/4-length victress. The chestnut failed to fire as the favorite next out when stretched to two turns in Santa Anita's GII Chandelier S. Oct. 1. Bob Baffert also saddles Eda (Munnings), who seeks her first top-level...
Jockey John Velazquez will be based primarily at Santa Anita Park for the upcoming meet there that starts Dec. 26, a switch from recent seasons in which the 50-year-old Hall-of-Famer has wintered at Gulfstream Park. Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form first broke the news Monday. TDN left a phone message for Velazquez seeking comment, but it did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story. The four-time GI Kentucky Derby-winner and co-chairman of the Jockeys' Guild made his decision public Nov. 29 via his agent, Ron...
Presumptive 2-year-old champion male and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Corniche (Quality Road) will be freshened briefly at WinStar Farm in Kentucky this winter before returning to Bob Baffert's barn, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Marette Farrell, who purchased the $1.5-million colt for Speedway Stable, said Corniche was sent to Kentucky last Wednesday. "It's time to give him a little bit of a break," Farrell told DRF. "Speedway likes to use WinStar for lay-ups. He can be turned out, graduate to a paddock, and they have a...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency GUN RUNNER FILLIES DEBUT AT CHURCHILL 7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:57 p.m. Freshman sire Gun Runner is represented by a pair of debuting fillies in this six-furlong affair. Richard Baltas saddles PEACE PEDDLER (GUN RUNNER), a $200,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, for Calvin Nguyen. The bay filly is a daughter of Canadian champion Embur's Song (Unbridled's Song). Steve Asmussen sends out Stonestreet homebred Ari Oakley (Gun Runner), a daughter of Belle of Perintown (Dehere) and half-sister to graded winner Strike It Rich (Unbridled's Song) and...