MARYLAND — Two-time Triple Crown winner and hall of fame horse trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended by the Maryland Racing Commission, making him ineligible for this year's Preakness Stakes.
What You Need To Know
- Bob Baffert won't see any of his horses in the Preakness this year
- Maryland Racing Commission suspended the hall of fame trainer in reciprocity with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
- Baffert appealed his KHRC suspension but it was upheld
In a largely unsurprising motion, Maryland's racing board announced Monday that it would honor the suspension levied by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission earlier this year. That suspension has been upheld in court, so Baffert and horses he owns can't run in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes.
The ban is the latest in the continued fallout from last year's Kentucky Derby, where Baffert's winning colt, Medina Spirit, failed a post-race drug test and had its win revoked.
Tests found increased levels of betamethasone in Medina Spirit's system, a substance prohibited by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Baffert claimed in was detected because an ointment used to treat dermatitis on Medina Spirit contained the drug, not steroids.
The three-year-old thoroughbred died in December 2021 while training in California, and his ashes were laid to rest at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky in April.+
Baffert-trained horses have won a record seven Preakness Stakes. In March, Baffert transferred four of his promising 3-year-old colts to other trainers, which will allow them to earn qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby while he serves his suspension.