May, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert’s Attorney Prepared To File Temporary Restraining Order Allowing Medina Spirit To Enter Preakness

Craig Roberston, attorney for trainer Bob Baffert, told the Daily Racing Form on Monday that he is prepared to file a temporary restraining order if Pimlico Race Course attempts to deny Medina Spirit entry into Saturday's Preakness Stakes.

The Preakness Stakes draw was originally scheduled for Monday, but Pimlico management pushed entries back to Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern following Baffert's Sunday morning announcement that the Kentucky Derby winner had tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone.

Robertson said he planned to reach out to Pimlico on Monday regarding the legal issues involved with denying Medina Spirit entry to the Preakness. Only the first post-race sample has been tested at this point; this is not enough to disqualify Medina Spirit. That would be possible after the results are confirmed by a second test of the split sample, which has yet to be completed.

Until that point, banning Medina Spirit from the Preakness would be a violation of Baffert's due process rights, Robertson argued.

Churchill Downs made the announcement Sunday afternoon that it would ban Baffert-trained runners from entering, but Robertson said that legal battle has been put on the back-burner until the Preakness situation is resolved.

“We don't even have an official positive yet,” Robertson told DRF. “Any decision to ban him, by anyone, be it Churchill or Pimlico or anyone else, is unlawful.”

Baffert Tells Fox: “We Did Not Cheat”

Embattled trainer Bob Baffert took his fight to clear his name to a national audience Monday, appearing on the Fox News show “America's Newsroom” where he once again emphatically denied any wrongdoing in the case of Medina Spirit (Protonico). Pressed on the issue by co-host Bill Hemmer, Baffert doubled down on denials he made Sunday, saying, “We did not cheat to win the Kentucky Derby.”

Baffert has found himself in the cross hairs of one of the biggest scandals ever to hit horse racing and the GI Kentucky Derby. The story exploded Sunday morning when Baffert hastily called a press conference at Churchill Downs to inform the media that the he had ben notified by the Kentucky Racing Commission that Medina Spirit tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone. The betamethasone finding, if confirmed by a split sample, will be Baffert's fifth positive test for a regulated but prohibited-on-race-day drug within the past year. In every instance, he has denied any wrongdoing.

As he did Sunday, Baffert made the case to the Fox audience that the problem was not with him or his stable but with a drug testing system that is so precise it can find minuscule trace amounts of therapeutic drugs that are not known to be performance-enhancers.

“What's happening is they're testing at these picogram levels,” Baffert said. “America doesn't know about picograms. It's like a salt grain in an Olympic size pool. He had 21 picograms, which has no effect at all. The thing is, a few years ago this never would have been called. In California, they never would have called this a positive. They shouldn't have called it a positive. We're living in a new world. These horses don't live in a bubble. They are out in the open, people are touching them. After the Derby, everybody was up there touching him. There are so many ways these horses can get contaminated. They're testing at these ridiculously low levels. I've been saying for over a year now, this is going to get innocent people in trouble. This is what has happened now.”

Baffert has maintained all along that Medina Spirit has never been given betamethasone.

“This did not happen,” he said. “This horse has never been treated with that. Actually, it's a legal therapeutic medicine and the amount (found in the post-race drug test) wouldn't have any effect on the horse anyway. That horse was never treated with that and so that's the disturbing part of it. I never thought I'd have to be fighting for my reputation and this poor horse's reputation because of the new regulations. They are testing these horse at contaminated levels. It's been a horrible experience.”

Baffert told the Fox audience that there was no way he would have given this particular drug to a horse just prior to a race.

“Bob Baffert is not stupid,” he said. “That is not a drug that I would use on a horse. We don't use that drug. The horse never had that in him. We have the documentation. We're going to show everything.”

Baffert confirmed that Medina Spirit and stablemate Concert Tour (Street Sense) were on their way to Baltimore to prepare for the GI Preakness S. By early afternoon Monday, it was not clear if the Maryland Jockey Club would allow them to be entered or whether or not they could be entered under another trainer's name.

On Sunday, Churchill Downs issued a statement in which it said that Baffert had been suspended from entering any horses there during the remainder of the meet.

“I haven't heard anything officially,” he said of the Preakness. “They haven't told me anything. Churchill Downs came out with that statement and that was pretty harsh. We live in a different world. This America is different. This was a cancel culture kind of thing, We're prepared to run.”

Baffert said he realized that he is under a microscope and that the Medina Spirit positive could have lasting impact on his reputation.

“I want to protect my legacy,” he said. “I have trained great horses, the best horses that have run. My record has proven that. It's horrible that this has happened. This horse never got that medication. It's an injustice to the horse. He's a great horse. He ran hard and he deserved to win that race. It kills me. These horses are like my children.”

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‘Real Sense Of Pride’: Victim Of Love Rebounded From Colic Surgery To Win Vagrancy

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love edged clear to a 2 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park.

Trainer Todd Beattie said it was an emotional victory after nearly losing the mare to colic following her third-place effort last summer in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.

“I actually was a tick choked up in the interview yesterday after the race,” said Beattie. “She puts such an effort out and when she came back she was breathing hard. She just gives it to you and so many horses don't always give that effort, but she's not that way. Although that was fairly easy for her, she put in a big effort.

“She coliced last year at Saratoga after she was third in the Grade 1,” continued Beattie. “I had to go to surgery with her at Rood and Riddle and we had to nurture her back. When you nurture one back and they get all the way back there to where they left off the year before, that gives you a real sense of pride.”

The 5-year-old Speightstown mare, piloted by Joel Rosario, successfully defended her title in the 71st running of the prestigious sprint by stalking the early speed of Sadie Lady before taking command at the stretch call.

“Joel gave her a hell of a ride. You couldn't draw it up any better than that,” said Beattie. “She has tactical speed and he knew with the slow pace to go ahead and move a little earlier than you normally would. She put a good effort in.”

Victim of Love won last year's renewal off a three-month layoff and entered Saturday's title defense from a nine-week respite, garnering an 88 Beyer.

“She was fresh and the filly had really been doing good,” said Beattie. “She's been on an upswing and the time away from the game freshened her up a little bit. I had hoped to have a prep, but a race at Maryland three weeks out didn't go.”

A native of Antigo, Wisconsin, hometown of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and the late horseman Clyde Rice, Beattie said he prefers to live in a small town and train from his private facility at Penn National.

“We have 50 stalls, a couple Equicizers and seven paddocks,” said Beattie. “I grew up in northern Wisconsin in the same town as Wayne Lukas and Clyde Rice and we raced bush races in Wisconsin. As soon as I graduated and could get paid to do this, I came out here and went to work for Clyde.”

Beattie is arguably best known for campaigning the multiple graded stakes winner Fabulous Strike, who won five graded events for the conditioner on the NYRA circuit, including the 2007 Grade 1 Vosburgh.

The veteran conditioner said as much as he enjoys and respects winning big races in New York, he looks forward to heading home.

“When I cross that Hudson, I have a lot of respect for those guys there,” said Beattie. “You have to come with a runner. We make darn sure we're coming with something that can run some.

“I'm 100 percent country boy,” added Beattie. “I don't do real well in the city. I appreciate the fact that I ship in and then see it in the rearview mirror and I get to go home at night to my little farm in the mountains.”

Beattie said Victim of Love's win was well received by the local racing community.

“Penn National is a real big draw in the countryside. Everyone follows her closely,” said Beattie. “My phone blew up with everyone calling and congratulating me. They all feel part of it.”

Beattie's wife, Amanda, is a key member of the team and gallops many of their horses, including Victim of Love. He said he values his wife's honest assessment of their stock.

“She's a real accomplished rider and rides this filly a lot. Last year at Saratoga she did all the riding there and is a good road team person,” said Beattie. “My wife might say things that some people wouldn't say. She's an accomplished rider and it comes with a lot of wisdom. Every day you get up and work on the horses, you learn something new.

“We were both thinking she was going to lay a good one down,” he added. “We were concerned about the time off, but we felt she was going to lay it down. She's doing really good this morning, too. She ate all of her feed and looks good. I'm really happy with her.”

The accomplished Beattie owns a career record of 1,739 career wins from 8,156 starts for purse earnings of more than $27 million, but he said he prefers to keep his operation small.

“I'm a horse lover and I like working around the horses,” said Beattie. “I had times where I had a lot of horses and really didn't like it. I had 100 horses at one time and I didn't like it at all. I ended up being a business manager rather than a horse trainer. I like to train horses. I ride every day myself and I like to work among the horses. That's how I was raised.”

Boasting a record of 18-6-3-3 with purse earnings of $408,199, Victim of Love has demonstrated remarkable consistency in the female sprinter division. The well-bred 5-year-old is out of the graded-stakes winning Awesome Again mare Spacy Tracy and is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Benner Island and multiple stakes-winner High North.

“I'm sure she'll be going into their broodmare band when the time comes. They're looking for horses like her,” said Beattie.

Beattie, true to his horseman roots, said he is not quite ready to commit to a potential next start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Bed O' Roses on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

“I'd rather have her tell me how she's doing and then come up with a plan for her,” said Beattie. “They all go a little better if you're really aiming for a spot rather than having the horse to tell you that you'd better pick a spot. We'll wait for her to tell the coach to look for a spot.”

The post ‘Real Sense Of Pride’: Victim Of Love Rebounded From Colic Surgery To Win Vagrancy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Promise Keeper Flying The Flag For Up-And-Coming Breeder Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds

Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing's Promise Keeper posted a 2 1/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, proving himself a top contender for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 5.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Constitution chestnut, piloted by Luis Saez, stalked the early pace of Wolfie's Dynaghost before taking control at the stretch call and fending off Nova Rags and stablemate Overtook's charge.

Out of the Curlin mare Mira Alta, Promise Keeper was bred in Kentucky by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, which was established in 2013 and is located in Versailles, Kentucky.

Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds is owned by Kerry Smith, proprietor of Smith Contractors, Inc., his wife Lou, their son Joe and his nephew Codee Guffey.

The 30-year-old Guffey, who oversees the operation with his wife, Hailey, makes his primary living with the family-owned construction business.

“We're new to the industry. We bought the farm in 2013 and I went to my first Keeneland sale that fall,” said Guffey. “The mare, Mira Alta, we purchased in our second year in the industry. We're still learning and to be able to get a mare like her early was a blessing.

“We keep 12 to 15 mares,” continued Guffey. “This is a family affair. My family owns a construction company and that's our livelihood. We decided to get into this as something we could all enjoy together. I work for the family business and my wife and I live on the farm and oversee the operation here. We never had horses before. We had some cattle. But being in the construction industry, we're not afraid to work. We just try and use a common sense approach and it's been very rewarding.”

Mira Alta was purchased for $200,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. In addition to Promise Keeper, she has produced the stakes-winner and graded-stakes placed mare Wicked Awesome and the graded-stakes placed colt War Stopper, who is in training with Pletcher for owners Salerno Stables and Madaket Stables.

Guffey said Mira Alta made a tremendous first impression.

“Her page is what made me mark her down, but it was her looks that got me hooked,” said Guffey. “She's a gorgeous chestnut mare with a blaze face. I like to say Promise Keeper got his looks from her. I know Constitution can throw some good-looking foals, but she's a gorgeous mare and she has a respectable pedigree in her own right.

“A sister to Mira Alta produced Owendale and he's a very nice colt,” added Guffey. “She's out of a nice mare that Stonestreet owns but I guess Mira Alta didn't earn a place in their band because she's unraced. Stonestreet has some very nice mares and they can't keep them all.”

Multiple Grade 1-winner Tiz the Law is currently the most famous son of Constitution. The New York-bred captured last year's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes for trainer Barclay Tagg and owner Sackatoga Stable.

Guffey said the farm has been a strong supporter of Constitution with the mating to Mira Alta priced at $15,000 before the stallion's runners elevated his stud fee to $85,000. Promise Keeper was purchased by Woodford Thoroughbreds for $160,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Warrendale Sales.

“He was a super nice foal and yearling. He was always a standout,” said Guffey. “Unfortunately, the year we sold him, Constitution didn't have Tiz the Law or 3-year-olds at the time and just didn't have that hype about him yet. We were about a year early on that. But Woodford bought him for $160,000 and anytime you can get 10 times the stud fee, you best take it.”

Promise Keeper graduated at second asking when stretched out to one mile on February 6 over a sloppy Gulfstream Park main track ahead of a troubled stakes debut in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 6.

He redeemed himself with a dominant 5 1/2-length score in a nine-furlong optional claiming score on April 8 at Keeneland and proved his class with Saturday's graded triumph which garnered a career-best 89 Beyer.

“We were really excited for the Tampa Bay Derby because we felt like he fit with those horses and was a top quality 3-year-old,” said Guffey. “But he literally fell to a knee coming out of the gate. He lost a shoe. He got bumped in the turn. It was just a bad trip. We just decided to forget about that – it's horse racing.

“We were all there for his Keeneland win and that gave me the reassurance that he's the horse we thought he was,” he added.

Guffey said the farm bought back into Promise Keeper after his maiden win.

“We were fortunate to get back in on him after he broke his maiden and we were really proud of his effort yesterday,” said Guffey. “It's different when you raise these horses, you get a lot of emotional ties to them.”

Guffey said the farm generally breeds to sell, but bought back into Promise Keeper with an eye to supporting their star pupil at stud.

“We take everything to the sale and put a price on it, but we do tend to keep our homebred fillies and get blacktype and make mares out of them,” said Guffey. “We don't have a lot of desire to own the colts, but we always felt highly about this one.

“From a breeding standpoint, we'd love for him to become a stallion and be able to support him in that process.”

Guffey said Mira Alta, who has a 2-year-old by Shanghai Bobby, has again been covered by Constitution.

“We have an Honor Code filly that's a yearling. That one may not make the sale if Promise Keeper continues to improve,” said Guffey. “The mare has a really nice Mastery colt at her side now. It's early, but we like to say it's her best one yet. He's a chestnut and has not quite the markings that Promise Keeper has, but he's a pretty colt.”

Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds is also the breeder of Hit the Woah, a dark bay daughter of Vancouver out of the More Than Ready mare Christie's Ready.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the stakes-placed Hit the Woah is nominated to Saturday's Grade 3 Soaring Softly at seven furlongs on the Belmont turf for sophomore fillies.

Guffey said he is proud of the farm's early success from their young broodmare band.

“We only had eight foals from Promise Keeper's crop and he's now a Grade 3 winner,” said Guffey. “If we could get two graded stakes winners out of an eight-foal crop that would be a huge accomplishment for our breeding program. Hit the Woah is by Vancouver. He stood for $15,000 and we sold her for $150,000.

“I bought all young mares, so we have to be patient,” he added. “Hit the Woah was that mare's first baby. We have a Malibu Moon colt from her and she's back in foal to American Pharoah.”

While hope springs eternal in the breeding business, Guffey said his family is enjoying their foray into racing and would dearly love to be at Belmont Park on June 5 for the “Test of the Champion.”

“We sure have enjoyed it so far and hope to for many years,” said Guffey. “We have a great group here that works for us. If Promise Keeper is there June 5, we'll be there. I promise you that.”

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