Tag: The Biz

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has denied both a stay of suspension for trainer Bob Baffert and a stay of the decision to disqualify Medina Spirit from his win in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, the Daily Racing Form reported on Friday.

A stay of suspension is typical if a licensee is in the appeals process, but KHRC executive director Marc Guilfoil signed a letter addressed to Baffert's attorneys which states: “I do not find good reason to grant a stay.”

The 90-day suspension was handed down by the KHRC on Monday for Medina Spirit's betamethasone positive in the Derby, and indicated that the overage was Baffert's fourth medication violation in 365 days in any racing jurisdiction, which could have influenced the stewards' choice of penalties dealt to him.

Baffert's suspension is set to begin on March 8. Generally, suspensions are reciprocated across all North American racing jurisdictions.

Baffert and his attorneys, Craig Robertson and Clark Brewster, do have the ability to pursue a temporary restraining order in civil court, which could allow the conditioner to continue training until the appeals process plays out.

Brewster issued a statement earlier this week calling the KHRC's ruling “egregious” and vowing to appeal the decision.

Robertson told Horse Racing Nation on Friday that he would do “whatever is necessary” to get a stay of appeal enforced, including going to civil court.

“This is unprecedented in my experience,” Robertson said in a statement to HRN. “Stays are routinely granted pending an appeal. This is because it is manifestly unfair to make a trainer serve suspension days now when the penalty that imposed that suspension may be reversed later. That is irreparable harm that cannot be undone.”

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The New York Racing Association's hearing process regarding embattled trainer Marcus Vitali has been delayed. A hearing was originally slated to begin March 1 before a hearing officer, but will now be pushed back.

“The administrative hearing to consider the NYRA statement of charges against Marcus Vitali that was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 1 has been rescheduled to begin on Monday, April 4 at 10 a.m.,” said Patrick McKenna, vice president of communications for NYRA. “Former New York State Court of Appeals Judge Robert Smith is serving as hearing officer in this matter.”

NYRA had announced it would seek to suspend Vitali from its facilities around the same time it announced it would begin an administrative hearing process for Bob Baffert. Baffert's hearing took place in late January, and NYRA has not yet announced the results of that administrative hearing.

NYRA initially chose to refuse entries and stalls to Baffert in the wake of his announcement that Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone following the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Baffert challenged the move in federal court, and a judge agreed with the trainer that the racetrack could not exclude him without some form of due process. NYRA subsequently created a series of guidelines for a process to present a statement of charges, hold an administrative hearing, and eventually submit a hearing officer's report to a panel for final decision.

Vitali made headlines most recently for getting a one-year suspension and $10,000 fine in Pennsylvania after one of his runners there tested positive for d-methamphetamine. He has appealed that ruling.

Vitali has a lengthy history of run-ins with regulators over drug and other issues. He relinquished his training license in Florida in 2016 after racking up seven drug violations in a four-month span, temporarily evading suspension. He left for the Mid-Atlantic, where he accumulated another positive, and eventually went back to Florida in an attempt to reacquire his license. Before he was relicensed, a Paulick Report investigation revealed he was regularly entering the Gulfstream Park backstretch on a visitor's pass and appeared to be training horses, although his attorney denied that he was training without a license. Vitali was later barred from properties owned by The Stronach Group and from Tampa Bay Downs for alleged paper training. In 2019, he was given a one-year suspension in Delaware after officials said he interfered with a search of an employee's dorm room and absconded with a vial of an unknown substance which was never recovered. In 2020, Vitali was implicated by officials at the Maryland Jockey Club in a scheme to have fellow trainer Wayne Potts serve as paper trainer for Vitali-trained horses entered at Stronach-owned Laurel Park.

The post NYRA Administrative Hearing To Suspend Vitali Delayed Until April appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In a typical year, the Kentucky Derby Museum sees over 15,000 students on field trips. During those visits, students explore the grounds of world-famous Churchill Downs, interact with two floors of Museum exhibits, and participate in educational programming, tailored to meet Core Academic Standards. This programming takes place in a classroom-style setting with Kentucky Derby Museum Education staff.

Through the generous support of Hermitage Farm in Goshen, KY, the Museum's Education Center has gone through it's first makeover in more than 20 years. Demolition started in November, and the 2200 square foot space went through a rebranding which included new paint, carpet, exhibit cases and more.

“The Museum is grateful to Hermitage Farm for helping us create a fresh, vibrant space where thousands of children will learn about the Kentucky Derby for years to come,” said Patrick Armstrong, President & CEO of the Museum. “Hermitage Farm is helping us fulfill our mission to engage, educate and excite everyone about the extraordinary experience that is the Kentucky Derby.”

This isn't the first time Hermitage Farm and Kentucky Derby Museum have teamed up. The two launched the Hermitage Farm\Derby Museum Tour in April 2021. On this tour guests can explore every aspect of a thoroughbred's life, from birth to racing at the Kentucky Derby. Also included in the tour is an incredible farm fresh lunch and bourbon tasting. Additionally, the Museum features a Hermitage Farm replica exhibit which takes guests through the operational aspects of a working horse farm.

Kentucky Derby Museum staff were joined by JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio and Hermitage Farm Owner Steve Wilson for Friday's ribbon cutting in the Hermitage Farm Education Center.

Why Study the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is important to study as the oldest continuously held sporting event in the United States. It is a cultural event, drawing more than 160,000 people from around the world to Churchill Downs® each May plus millions more people watching on television. It is Kentucky's signature event, replete with traditions, legends and icons. It is a major economic event, with a $217 million impact on the region. The Museum's Education Team also helps students understand the roles of everyone involved in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing, including the horse, jockey, trainer, veterinarians, and grooms. The Education Team also teaches students about the Kentucky Derby's diverse history. From the African American jockeys who dominated the early days of the sport to female owners, trainers and jockeys of the last century, as well as the Hispanic, Asian and Middle Eastern populations who also contribute greatly to the Derby story.

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The federal trial of trainer Jason Servis has been postponed until the first quarter of 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil revealed during a status conference on Jan. 24, 2022.

According to bloodhorse.com, the delay is due to both coronavirus-related restrictions in scheduling and a scheduling conflict for Servis' attorney, Rita Glavin, who this summer will represent former President Donald Trump's former chief financial officer against fraud charges in New York State court.

Servis was among 27 people indicted on federal charges on March 9, 2020, in connection with the use of performance-enhancing drugs on racehorses. He was charged with one count of drug adulteration and misbranding by using a network of veterinarians, assistant trainers, and other trainers (including Navarro) to acquire and use PEDs on his horses, including multiple graded stakes winner Maximum Security.

Servis was also named in a superseding indictment released on Nov. 6, 2020. Along with veterinarians Dr. Kristian Rhein and Alexander Chan, Servis was charged with mail and wire fraud conspiracy for using the U.S. mail to distribute and receive misbranded or adulterated drugs.

The former trainer, currently free on bond, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Meanwhile, Judge Vyskocil ordered defendant Lisa Gianelli, a sales representative for convicted veterinarian Seth Fishman, to trial in May or June of this year. She had been on trial in January, but a mistrial was declared when her attorney tested positive COVID.

Judge Vyskocil also ordered that both veterinarian Dr. Erica Garcia and former Jorge Navarro employee Michael Tannuzzo stand trial in December.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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