According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, Judge Carol Bagley Amon ordered attorneys for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to divulge specific names relating to his claim in a July 7 affidavit stating: “I have recently had conversations with other owners who have stated that they may move their horses to other trainers if the New York suspension continues.”
A one-page letter filed on Friday revealed five names: “Gavin Murphy of SF Bloodstock; Jack Wolf of Starlight Racing; Peter Fluor of Speedway Stable; Sol Kumin of Madaket Stables; and George Bolton.”
Judge Amon issued the order to reveal names of owners considering leaving Baffert's stable in response to the New York Racing Association's motion to strike the trainer's affidavit from the record.
Baffert filed suit against NYRA on June 14, nearly a month after the racing association notified the Hall of Fame trainer that he was temporarily banned from racing or stabling at NYRA tracks while the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission conducts its investigation into the post-race drug positive for Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first in the May 1 Kentucky Derby. Baffert is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction against the ban.
As defendant in the case, NYRA filed a memorandum of law on June 30 in opposition to Baffert's motion for preliminary injunction. The Jockey Club filed a brief on that same date as amicus curiae, or friend of the court, claiming that its role as keeper of the Stud Book gives it a “unique interest in ensuring that when Thoroughbreds enter the breeding shed (where they determine the future of the breed through progeny), they do so with records uninfluenced by the effects of medication.”
On July 7, attorneys for Baffert filed their own memorandum of law, which consisted of 434 pages and included an affidavit from the trainer. In the memo, Baffert's attorneys allege that NYRA has “vindictively” targeted the trainer utilizing “hypocrisy” and “backdoor” tactics. The filing also zeroes in on two legal arguments: that the ban violates the trainer's right to due process, and that NYRA has no authority to issue a ban.
That same filing also details the exodus of horses owned by WinStar Farm from Baffert's stable as an example of the type of harm that the ban will cause to the trainer's livelihood.
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
Additional stories about Baffert's Kentucky Derby positive and ensuing legal battles, listed in order from most recent to the original story:
- Baffert Attorneys: 'It Does Not Serve The Integrity Of Horse Racing To Suspend First And Ask Questions Later'
- NYRA: Baffert Ban Necessary To Protect Horses, Riders And Ensure Integrity
- Baffert Vs. NYRA: The Jockey Club Asks To Weigh In On 'Deleterious Effects Of Improper Drug Use'
- Report: Baffert Trainees Have The Highest Death Rate In California
- Baffert Files New York Lawsuit Claiming NYRA Has No Legal Authority For Suspension
- Baffert, Zedan File Suit Against Kentucky Commission Over Extra Testing In Medina Spirit Saga
- 'Reckless Practices,' 'Repeated Failures': Churchill Downs Suspends Bob Baffert For Two Years
- Baffert The Center Of Two More Civil Suits In Federal Court In Medina Spirit Case
- California Horse Racing Board Will Not Suspend Baffert's License Without Due Process
- Baffert Handed Temporary Suspension From NYRA Tracks
- Preakness Saturday Statement From Baffert: I Am 'Truly Sorry' For Handling Of Medina Spirit Scandal
- Horseplayers Sue Baffert, Zedan Racing Over Medina Spirit Drug Test
- Show Us The Paper, Bob: Records To Back Up Baffert's Story Remain A Matter Of Trust
- Raising The Bar? Hore's Advisory Role With Baffert 'Did Not Materialize As Intended'
- Baffert: Anti-Fungal Ointment Could Be Source Of Betamethasone Positive In Medina Spirit
- Baffert's Attorney Prepared To File Temporary Restraining Order Allowing Medina Spirit To Enter Preakness
- Churchill Downs Immediately Suspends Baffert From Entering Horses
- Baffert: Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit Tests Positive For Betamethasone
The post Five Owners On The Verge Of Leaving Bob Baffert Over NYRA Ban, Legal Filing Reveals appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
