NYRA: Baffert and Vitali are detrimental to the sport of T-Bred Racing

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by SandyW

If this sport was completely cleaned up you would not have enough horses to fill one race card a week at any racetrack.

There have been problems with horse racing as far back as anybody reading these posts can remember.

Wherever their is money involved problems will exist. The lords of racing are always going after somebody.

The opposite is true. The horses they juice to run beyond what they are naturally capable of retire early and many just disappear instead of running till 7,8,or 9 years old.

[Andy Asaro]

Twitter

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/s...na-spirit.html

Excerpt:

The leaders of the Breeders’ Cup, a Super Bowl of sorts
for horseplayers, have been loud proponents of drug-free racing. But many of its board members employ Baffert as their trainer.

Earlier this month, a colt called Pinehurst, trained by Baffert, won the Del Mar Futurity, establishing himself as a favorite in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He is partially owned by the board members Gavin Murphy of SF Bloodstock and Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables.

Racing Officials in Kentucky and New York Move to Marginalize Baffert

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Last edited by Andy Asaro; 09-11-2021 at 07:42 AM.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by SandyW

If this sport was completely cleaned up you would not have enough horses to fill one race card a week at any racetrack.

There have been problems with horse racing as far back as anybody reading these posts can remember.

Wherever their is money involved problems will exist. The lords of racing are always going after somebody.

Full cleanup is impossible, but that doesn't mean anything goes or you can't go after repeat offenders.

[Hedevar]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

His downfall? Don't be ridiculous. He has more money than God and nobody is proposing taking it away from him.

We are rooting for the sport to be cleaned up.

He better have more money than God. His expenses are just beginning. Lets get the DOJ involved.

[classhandicapper]

IMO Baffert has been his own worst enemy on this one. He was probably so used to getting slaps on the wrist for all these therapeutic overages (as is everyone else that has had many) he underestimated their will to really punish him for tarnishing the Oaks and Derby. He should have just made his “ointment” excuse to the press, accepted a suspension, and taken a vacation for awhile.

He has more money than God and still had plenty of wealthy owners on his side to support an eventual comeback. He didn’t need all this crap and bad will. There was very little to be gained by blowing this up. The only thing that made sense to me was trying to salvage his reputation with further blood and urine tests, and only in the event he’s actually telling the truth this time.

If he wants to be the ultimate villain he can switch to training claimers for awhile and have owners take horses out of KY and NY and bring them to CA.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

IMO Baffert has been his own worst enemy on this one. He was probably so used to getting slaps on the wrist for all these therapeutic overages (as is everyone else that has had many) he underestimated their will to really punish him for tarnishing the Oaks and Derby. He should have just made his “ointment” excuse to the press, accepted a suspension, and taken a vacation for awhile.

He has more money than God and still had plenty of wealthy owners on his side to support an eventual comeback. He didn’t need all this crap and bad will. There was very little to be gained by blowing this up. The only thing that made sense to me was trying to salvage his reputation with further blood and urine tests, and only in the event he’s actually telling the truth this time.

If he wants to be the ultimate villain he can switch to training claimers for awhile and have owners take horses out of KY and NY and bring them to CA.

20 or 30 million doesn't last that long with the kind of legal fees he's paying. Easy to go through 10 million over 5 years and probably more.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Andy Asaro

20 or 30 million doesn't last that long with the kind of legal fees he's paying. Easy to go through 10 million over 5 years and probably more.

I doubt his personal effort to fight these suspensions etc.. will go on for years. He’s not going to burn through millions over years just to avoid a suspension that will probably be shorter than the legal fight.

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I doubt his personal effort to fight these suspensions etc.. will go on for years. He’s not going to burn through millions over years just to avoid a suspension that will probably be shorter than the legal fight.

What's going on now could be career ending. California and the Breeders Cup, especially the California Horse Racing Board is most responsible for enabling Baffert.

[Hedevar]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I doubt his personal effort to fight these suspensions etc.. will go on for years. He’s not going to burn through millions over years just to avoid a suspension that will probably be shorter than the legal fight.

Fighting suspensions will be the least of his problems if the Justice Department opens an investigation.

[Hedevar]

Lets see how long his wealthy owners stick with him if he gets indicted for an interstate conspiracy. There are other competent trainers around.

[azeri98]

What goods? if it's drug use then you wouldn't have horse racing. I'm pretty sure every trainer has had a horse test positive for a banned substance. You either throw them all out or you don't. Picking and choosing is discriminatory.

[Hedevar]

Originally Posted by azeri98

What goods? if it's drug use then you wouldn't have horse racing. I'm pretty sure every trainer has had a horse test positive for a banned substance. You either throw them all out or you don't. Picking and choosing is discriminatory.

You are being naive. Has every corrupt politician around faced a Federal investigation? All the G has to do is decide they want him. Good publicity.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

IMO Baffert has been his own worst enemy on this one. He was probably so used to getting slaps on the wrist for all these therapeutic overages (as is everyone else that has had many) he underestimated their will to really punish him for tarnishing the Oaks and Derby. He should have just made his “ointment” excuse to the press, accepted a suspension, and taken a vacation for awhile.
He has more money than God and still had plenty of wealthy owners on his side to support an eventual comeback. He didn’t need all this crap and bad will. There was very little to be gained by blowing this up. The only thing that made sense to me was trying to salvage his reputation with further blood and urine tests, and only in the event he’s actually telling the truth this time.

If he wants to be the ultimate villain he can switch to training claimers for awhile and have owners take horses out of KY and NY and bring them to CA.

It’s that. The twenty something prior transgressions got a blank stare. Hell, in Cali they conspired to cover a major one up for months. And you got Rubes calling it hate for pointing the truth out. But you mess with the derby, oaks or some of these preps and the daggers will come out. I said this when it all broke , stepped over the line on this one and it ain’t going away. People are digging in this time. He is just too arrogant to wake up and smell the coffee. Like I said before he is not the king he thinks he is……. The real power is turning the dogs loose because he didn’t shut up and take it.

[azeri98]

Originally Posted by Hedevar

You are being naive. Has every corrupt politician around faced a Federal investigation? All the G has to do is decide they want him. Good publicity.

I'm not naive. You made my point. They are trying to make an example of him because he's high profile. They all cheat. Just like the steroid era in baseball. Bonds and Clemens get crucified whereas guys like Piazza, Bagwell, Biggio and Pudge Rodriguez are welcomed into the Hall of Fame. It's a joke. D Wayne Lukas's horses were all drugged to the max when he was on top and the sport nor government did anything . His record has gone downhill since he hasn't had a drug positive. My point is it's discrimination to go after one guy like this with excessive bans. If they want stiffer penalties then do it to everybody, not a slap on the wrist. give them all 2 year suspensions.

[classhandicapper]

I think some of you guys are getting silly. He is accused of, and admitted to, a several picogram overage of a legal therapeutic drug that trainers all over the country use legally. As far as we can tell from public disclosure all they can show is that he “probably” gambled and administered it later than the suggested window that ensures it would be out of the horse’s system by race time. If it wasn’t Baffert and the Derby he probably would have gotten another slap on the wrist.