Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper
I have to agree with the posters here that think "Baffert hate" is impacting the thinking. Set aside suspicions. Those are irrelevant until you find a syringe loaded with an illegal substance, someone whistle blows on him, or they find a serious positive. He had what is typically a slap on the wrist positive, but he has a history of them, this was the Derby, and he's being a pain in the ass about it. So the punishment will and should be more severe. But the communication was still a debacle.
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My position has nothing to do with Baffert hate. My position is that in other sports, a first offense is 2 years and a second offense is a lifetime ban, and the result of that is that a lot of people are far more afraid to dope than they are in horse racing.
I think similar rules would be good for the sport of horse racing. It's not about Bob Baffert specifically. I supported the 10 year ban for Rick Dutrow too. I support everything that is happening to Servis and Navarro. It has nothing to do with any one person. I just think that the only rule that deters doping is one that doesn't allow trainers any room for explanation- the trainer's job is to find a way for this stuff to NEVER get in the horses' system, and to leave the sport when they fail to do it.
