kentucky derby 147 | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: Lawyering Up

Attorney Bob Heleringer authored the book, Equine Regulatory Law, so there may be no one better to help us understand the legal questions surrounding the potential drug disqualification of this year's Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, and the two-year suspension of trainer Bob Baffert handed down on Wednesday by Churchill Downs.

What legal standing does Churchill Downs have to banish Baffert, since it is not a regulatory agency? What are the Hall of Fame trainer's options and how have the courts ruled on similar actions by track owners? What happens next with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, now that a test of the split sample from Medina Spirit confirmed the initial finding of the corticosteroid betamethasone in a post-race sample?

eleringer – a native of Louisville who in addition to his law practice served 11 terms in the Kentucky House of Representatives – joins publisher Ray Paulick and editor-in-chief Natalie Voss in this week's edition of the Friday Show to answer those questions and more.

He also offers some historical perspective on a previous case that led to the drug disqualification of Dancer's Image from his 1968 Kentucky Derby victory.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Courses Charted For Classic Runners-Up Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon

Neither Mandaloun, second behind Medina Spirit in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, nor G1 Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon are bound for Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on June 5 for the Belmont Stakes or undercard races.

Daily Racing Form reports that Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun will be pointed by trainer Brad Cox toward the June 13 TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, a prep for the G1, $1-million Haskell Invitational at the Oceanport, N.J., track on July 17. Winner of the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, the Into Mischief colt could wind up as the official Kentucky Derby winner if a split sample confirms the presence of a corticosteroid and stewards disqualify Medina Spirit from the victory.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, a son of Tiznow, finished sixth after a rough start in the Kentucky Derby and then second in the Preakness. Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock advisor David Fiske said Midnight Bourbon could also wind up in the Haskell or in the G2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 30 at Saratoga.

Midnight Bourbon defeated Mandaloun winning the G3 Lecomte, then finished third behind that colt in the Risen Star.

“He came out of the Preakness great, but he may have put the groundskeepers out of a job he was eating so much grass,” Fiske told the New York Racing Association media office. “He shipped back to Churchill and has been jogging great. There aren't any big target races after the Belmont prior to the Jim Dandy or Haskell, so we'll focus on those races for now.”

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Essential Quality Sharp In Belmont Stakes Breeze At Churchill Downs

Godolphin's Essential Quality, the Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) favorite and likely top betting choice for the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1), breezed a sharp five furlongs in :59.80 Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, the fifth fastest of 40 horses at the distance at the Louisville, Ky., track.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality was the 5-2 favorite in the May 1 Kentucky Derby and crossed the wire fourth behind Medina Spirit, Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie.

The Tapit colt worked Saturday in company with 5-year-old graded stakes winner Night Ops through early fractions of :24.20 and :47.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

There were 169 horses that donned the Saturday work tab at Churchill Downs including Juddmonte's Mandaloun who cruised an easy half-mile in :48.20. His next start is still to be determined, according to Cox.

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Essential Quality, Mandaloun, Helium Among Kentucky Derby Runners Returning To Work Tab

Several locally based contenders from the recent $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) returned to the work tab Saturday and Sunday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Trainer Brad Cox was not represented in this year's Preakness Stakes (G1) but his Derby duo of Godolphin's Essential Quality and Juddmonte Farms'' Mandaloun both recorded easy half-mile moves early Saturday morning. Essential Quality worked in :50.80 while Mandaloun breezed in :48.20.

Cox and Godolphin reported following the Derby that Essential Quality would be considered for the third jewel of racing's Triple Crown, the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 5. A next race option for Mandaloun is still to be announced.

Another Derby runner that recorded a Saturday work was D J Stable's $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Helium, who cruised an easy half-mile in :48.80. Trainer Mark Casse's local assistant David Carroll reported the colt could target the $150,000 Matt Winn (G3) on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

One of the few horses to close significant ground into the pace of the Kentucky Derby was Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbredsand Terry Stephens' O Besos. The Orb colt worked a half-mile in :49.20 Saturday with jockey Marcelino Pedroza in the saddle. Trainer Greg Foley reported several options are being considered for the 3-year-old but a decision has not been made final.

On Sunday, M Racing Group's $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Like the King returned to the turf to work five furlongs in 1:02.40 under jockey Tyler Gaffalione with trainer Wesley Ward watching from the grandstand. Ward reported the son of Palace Malice could be considered for the $150,000 Audubon, run at 1 1/8 miles over the turf.

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