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No Points for Suspended Trainers on Road to the Kentucky Derby

The official “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve,” will begin Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs with the GIII Iroquois S., has been unveiled with a new proviso that horses under the care of suspended trainers will not be awarded points in the Derby prep races.

Effective Sept. 30, points from any race in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” will not be awarded to any horse trained by any individual who is suspended from racing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer. Should a horse trained by a suspended trainer, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed, supervised, or advised by a suspended trainer, finish in a position that would have earned points in a “Road to the Kentucky Derby” race occurring after Sept. 30, 2021, the points associated with that finish position will be vacated. The same rules apply for the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series. This would include trainer Bob Baffert, who was banned from Churchill Downs Inc. racetracks for three years.

The total number of races in the primary “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series has increased by one to 37. The inaugural $100,000 Gun Runner, a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds at Fair Grounds Sunday, Dec. 26, has been added and is worth 10-4-2-1 to the top four placings.

Additionally, the new $100,000 Untapable, a one mile and 70-yard race for 2-year-old fillies that same day at Fair Grounds, has been added to the Oaks series, which features a total of 32 races.

The Iroquois will again kick off the 21-race “Prep Season,” which features foundation-building races over a minimum of one mile between mid-September and mid-February. Points awarded during the “Prep Season” are worth 10-4-2-1 to the top four placings, respectively, except for the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, which is worth twice as much (20-8-4-2).

In addition to the Iroquois and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, “Prep Season” races include the GI American Pharoah (Santa Anita), GI Champagne (Belmont), GII Breeders' Futurity (Keeneland), GII Kentucky Jockey Club (Churchill Downs), GII Remsen (Aqueduct), Springboard Mile (Remington Park), GII Los Alamitos Futurity (Los Alamitos), Gun Runner (Fair Grounds), Smarty Jones (Oaklawn Park), Jerome (Aqueduct), GIII Sham (Santa Anita), GIII Lecomte (Fair Grounds), GIII Southwest (Oaklawn Park), GII Holy Bull (Gulfstream Park), GIII Robert B. Lewis (Santa Anita), GIII Sam F. Davis (Tampa Bay Downs), GIII Withers (Aqueduct), El Camino Real Derby (Golden Gate) and John Battaglia Memorial (Turfway Park).

The 16-race “Championship Series” follows the Prep Season races. First leg races offer 50-20-10-5 points to the top four finishers: the GII Risen Star (Fair Grounds), GII Rebel (Oaklawn Park), GII Fountain of Youth (Gulfstream Park), GIII Gotham (Aqueduct), GII Tampa Bay Derby (Tampa Bay Downs), GII San Felipe (Santa Anita) and GIII Sunland Derby (Sunland Park). The most meaningful races are worth 100-40-20-10: the G2 UAE Derby (Meydan Racecouse), GII Louisiana Derby (Fair Grounds), GI Florida Derby (Gulfstream Park), GI Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park), GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks (Turfway Park), GII Wood Memorial (Aqueduct), GII Toyota Blue Grass (Keeneland) and GI Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita). Additionally, the GIII Lexington (Keeneland) offers points on a scale of 20-8-4-2 to the first four placings.

In addition to the primary “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, there are two separate series that each carve out one spot for a potential horse from Europe and Japan.

The sixth-year “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby” series again features four races: Cattleya (10-4-2-1 at Tokyo), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (20-8-4-2 at Kawasaki), Hyacinth (30-12-6-3 at Tokyo) and Fukuryu (40-16-8-4 at Nakayama).

The fifth-year “European Road to the Kentucky Derby” again showcases seven races: the Juddmonte Royal Lodge (10-4-2-1 at Newmarket), Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford (10-4-2-1 at Curragh), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (10-4-2-1 at Longchamp), Vertem Futurity Trophy (10-4-2-1 at Doncaster), Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (20-8-4-2 at Kempton Park), Patton Stakes (20-8-4-2 at Dundalk) and Cardinal Condition Stakes (30-12-6-3 at Chelmsford City).

As was the case this year, the 2022 Kentucky Derby will be run without the permitted use of Lasix. Points will only be awarded to horses who compete on race day without Lasix in Road to the Kentucky Derby races.

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NYRA Schedules Hearings, Issues Charges, for Baffert, Vitali

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has issued charges and scheduled hearings for trainers Bob Baffert and Marcus Vitali, NYRA announced Friday morning.

“NYRA contends that Mr. Baffert and Mr. Vitali have engaged in conduct that is detrimental to the best interests of the sport of Thoroughbred racing or potentially injurious to the health or safety of horses or riders,” they said in a press release. “Further, as detailed in the respective statements of charges, this conduct warrants revocation or suspension of their right to train horses, enter races, or engage in any racing-related activity at all NYRA properties including Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.”

The statement goes on to say that NYRA has established “Hearing Rules and Procedures that provide a formalized mechanism for a respondent to reply to charges and to participate in a hearing in accordance with due process rights.” Baffert's hearing is scheduled to begin Sept. 27, 2021, while Vitali's is scheduled to begin Sept. 30.

Baffert's attorney, Craig Robertson, called the action on the part of NYRA “improper.”

“The Federal Court in New York enjoined NYRA from enforcing its suspension of Mr. Baffert pending a conclusion of that suit,” said Robertson via email. “That suit has not been concluded. As such, this is an improper attempt by NYRA to circumvent the Judge's ruling. We will address it accordingly.”

“NYRA has a responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport of Thoroughbred racing,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “We are determined to ensure the actions taken in furtherance of that goal comport with the requirements of due process, which is what the hearing rules and procedures established by NYRA provide.”

NYRA said that a designated hearing officer would ensure fairness and impartiality of the hearing's proceedings, in accordance with NYRA's hearing rules and procedures. Following the proceeding, the hearing officers will issue a report containing findings of fact, conclusions, and a recommended disposition, the release says.

Peter Sherwood, a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice, will serve as hearing officer in the Baffert case. Robert Smith, a retired Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, will serve as hearing officer in the Mr. Vitali matter.

NYRA's full hearing rules and procedures may be read here.

NYRA announced that it had suspended Baffert May 17, after his Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for Betamethasone in the GI Kentucky Derby. Baffert ultimately got an injunction, and, on June 14, filed suit in the U.S. States District Court, Eastern District of New York, against NYRA, charging violations of his constitutional Fourteenth Amendment right to due process.

Included in the press release were letters delivered to Baffert and Vitali on Friday, informing the trainers of their hearing dates and asking them to reply in writing within five days, and to appear via video conference on the hearing dates. They also delivered an 11-page statement of charges to Baffert, which recounts the now-familiar tale of four medication violates in the year preceding this year's Kentucky Derby, and then the Medina Spirit Betamethasone positive in the Derby.

It concludes, “Respondent's conduct has impeded NYRA's ability to effectively supervise the activities at the racetracks it operates so that its patrons have confidence that the sport is honestly conducted, protecting competitors from the participation in tainted horse races, and safeguarding the wagering public. As a result of Respondent's conduct, NYRA seeks to exercise its reasonable discretionary business judgment to exclude Respondent from entering or stabling horses on the grounds it operates, or any portion of such grounds.”

The complete statement of charges may be read here.

Vitali's statement of charges reads, in part, “From between in or about 2010 and in or about 2020, Respondent amassed an extensive record of medication violations, lengthy suspensions, improperly using “program” or “paper” trainers during suspensions and obstructing an investigation into alleged wrongdoing. In the past five years, Respondent was denied entry, ejected and/or had license applications denied by regulators of Thoroughbred racing in Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and Delaware; and was sanctioned by The Jockey Club for violating a racing statute, rule or regulation relating to prohibited or restricted drugs, medications or substances seven times in a single year.” They also seek to exclude him from racing at NYRA tracks. The complete statement may be read here.

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Veteran Rider Luis Quinonez Approaching Remington Park Milestone Held By Retired Don Pettinger

Veteran jockey Luis Quinonez needs three more wins to move into second place in the all-time rider standings at Remington Park, ahead of the retired Don Pettinger.

Pettinger finished his career with 1,419 Remington Park victories, 706 behind all-time leader Cliff Berry, who had 2,125. All three riders are in the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Quinonez, 54, came into this meet with 1,416 and has one win in the first four days. He needs 101 more wins to reach 4,000 trips to the winner's circle overall in his career.

“I used to think, 'I'd really like to get to 4,000,' but the last couple of years, it's gotten a little tougher,” said Quinonez, who makes his home in Jones, Okla., just outside of Oklahoma City. “Now it's, 'If I get to 4,000 that would be great. I'm not going to sweat it.'”

He said he will celebrate if and when he moves into second place.

“I got my first win at Remington Park on my very first mount in 1989 when I was about 22 or 23 years old,” he said. “I had just gotten my riding license. I was just galloping horses in 1988, the first year here. The next year, I won on the first horse I rode – New Writer.”

His horse went off at odds of 22-1 for trainer Cliff Darnell and came home with Quinonez's patented late run on the turf. He beat such riders as Berry, the late Pat Steinberg (winner of nine riding titles in the early days of the track and an Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer), Dale Cordova (10th all-time here and regular rider for Silver Goblin), and Tony McNeil, now the paddock judge at Remington Park.

“Second place would be great, fantastic,” said Quinonez. “I have so many memories at Remington Park, some good and some bad.”

He said one horse almost broke his neck after finishing second in the race.

“He jumped the tracks at the wire and I tried to grab his mane but I came off,” he said. “We still ran second because it was after the finish, but I came back with a bloody nose.”

Was he injured badly?

“Hey, I came back and won the very next race,” he said.

A jockey doesn't win almost 4,000 times without a few X-rays in his life. He said he's had several concussions at Remington Park in his career, but nothing major. And then there are the good memories.

He made it to the Kentucky Derby once aboard Suddenbreakingnews, the 2016 winner of the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park for trainer Donnie Von Hemel. The best trivia question to come out of that win has to do with who ran second. It was none other than Whitmore, who went on to win the 2020 Breeder's Cup Sprint. Suddenbreakingnews won the Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park and finished second in the Springboard Mile in the fall of 2015 before moving to Oaklawn. After winning the Southwest, he ran second to Creator in the Arkansas Derby. Whitmore was third.

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“Suddenbreakingnews has to be my all-time favorite because he got me to the Big Dance (Kentucky Derby),” said Quinonez. “Shotgun Kowboy ($1,548,648 earner) and Alternation ($1,064,727) were right up there and Brownie Points ($957,230), but going to the Kentucky Derby was awesome.”

It might have been awesome, but it was a nightmare for him early on.

“We drew the 2-hole and we almost got dropped twice before we went under the wire the first time,” he said. “I really thought we had a chance to win the Derby. I always wanted another chance. I'd been on horses that finished 22nd and 23rd in the Kentucky Derby list (top 20 get in) a few times, but this was my only chance. When I finally got going on him (with clear sailing) the horses on the final turn came out, off the rail, so I took it. We were closing fast and I thought I was going to finish third.”

Suddenbreakingnews finished fifth, less than five lengths behind the 2016 Derby winner Nyquist. Quinonez was within a head and a nose from running third. Exaggerator was second, Gun Runner (2017 Horse of the Year) third and Mohayem fourth.

“I thought we'd catch Gun Runner, but he just had enough left,” Quinonez said.

Quinonez said he still loves riding and competing.

“I still am in pretty good shape,” he said. “I'm not as young now, but this will be fun trying to catch Pettinger for second. I don't think I can catch Cliff, but that's OK. He's my brother from another mother. We've been roommates before and we always play golf together. I don't think I can, but you never know.”

Times have certainly changed. Quinonez won only four races that first year at Remington Park.

“And Cliff only won two, I think,” he said. “He won his first one early and then he ran second about 60 times before winning one more.”

Quinonez, going into Wednesday night's race card at Remington, has had 26,803 starts in his career with 3,899 wins, 3,690 seconds and 3,532 thirds for $76,805,803 from his horses' earnings. At Remington Park, he has ridden 9,719 times with 1,417 wins; 1,344 seconds, and 1,225 thirds for earnings in excess of $25 million.

With a little luck, he could tie the record Wednesday night. He has only two mounts – My Baby Blue (10-1) in the fifth race and Alternative Slew (5-2) in the eighth.

This is the first week Remington Park moves into a four-night racing week, with cards scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 1-4. First post nightly is 7:07pm-Central.

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Medina Spirit Makes Successful Return In Shared Belief At Del Mar

With his title as 2021 Kentucky Derby winner still in legal limbo, Medina Spirit made his first start since finishing third in the Preakness Stakes, winning the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.

The son of Protonico went off as the race's favorite, broke fast, and led at every call to win the one-mile stakes under jockey John Velazquez.

The field of six broke cleanly from the gate, with Velazquez hustling Medina Spirit to the lead, followed by Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World on his outside and Reddam Racing's Team Merchants third. Through a first quarter in :22.52 and a half-mile in :46.92, Medina Spirit maintained his front-runner status, with Umberto Rispoli and Rock Your World close, never allowing the Bob Baffert trainee to be more than a three-quarters of a length ahead. They stayed 1-2 into the far turn, as both Rock Your World and Team Merchants loomed to Medina Spirit's outside entering the stretch.

Coming out of the turn, Rock Your World drifted out slightly, causing Team Merchants to veer into Stilleto Boy and forcing the latter to steady before running on down the center of the track. Rock Your World could not gain on Medina Spirit, who tenaciously hung on to his lead throughout the stretch run, flashing under the wire in front. Rock Your World was second, with Stilleto Boy third and The Great One fourth.

The final time for the one-mile Shared Belief Stakes was 1:37.29. Find this race's chart here.

The inquiry sign went up not long after the finish as the Del Mar stewards examined the action coming out of the far turn into the stretch when Team Merchants veered into Stilleto Boy. Because Team Merchants finished behind Stilleto Boy, the stewards decided not to make any changes to the order of finish. Medina Spirit was not affected by the inquiry.

Medina Spirit paid $3.80, $2.40, and $2.10. Rock Your World paid $2.80 and $2.20. Stilleto Boy paid $3.80 to show.

“It went the way we wanted it. Once I made the lead into the first turn, I felt better. He was moving well. When he got on the backside, his ears went up and he was really cruising. When a horse would come to him, he'd pick it up on his own. When we got to the quarter pole, I said 'Let's go; time to pick it up.' And he was right into it. He finished strong and the gallop out was strong, too. He can build off this race,” Velazquez said after the Shared Belief.

“It's a relief. A Shared Belief relief,” Baffert told the Del Mar media office after the race. “It's good that the fans were here for the showdown. I did not have any intention of running him in this race until a couple weeks ago. I started thinking about it, figuring it couldn't come up that tough. Then (son) Bode said, 'You know Rock Your World's running there?' For what this horse has gone through he's such a game horse and I wanted to run him here and see if he likes Del Mar. I've never had a Derby winner come back and win here so that's a first. He looks good and John (Velazquez) said he feels better than ever. There's still some good racing for him out there. We're waiting for the process to happen.”

Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, Medina Spirit is out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. He is owned by Zedan Racing Stables, who purchased the 3-year-old colt from Whitman Sales for $35,000 at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale. With this win in the Shared Belief, Medina Spirit has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 8-4-3-1.

Additional stories about Baffert's Kentucky Derby positive and ensuing legal battles can be found here.

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