Scandal-Ridden Trainer Bob Baffert Dealt 5th Devastating Blow with Outright Dismissal of Case by Ky. Court of Appeals
Bob Baffert and Sheikh Mohammed
"We applaud the Kentucky Court of Appeals for their outright dismissal of the Baffert case, hope the delivery of this fifth loss will be the final blow, and that the notorious trainer will concede defeat, put the welfare of the horses first, and allow American horse racing to get back on track as the 148th Run for the Roses approaches.
"For far too long Bob Baffert's scandals have completely engulfed and overshadowed the so-called 'Sport of Kings,' and if Baffert truly wants Thoroughbred horse racing to continue being defined as a legitimate American sport, then he'll step aside until his suspension is over, and allow other trainers, breeders, owners, and jockeys the opportunity to enjoy a clean Triple Crown without his controversy in 2022."
Baffert lost in the original Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's (KHRC) hearing where Medina Spirit was stripped of the Derby title, lost the appeal to the KHRC board, lost in court when Judge Thomas Wingate denied Baffert a stay, and also lost in Kentucky Appellate Court with Judge Allison Jones' recent decision. According to Horse Racing Nation2, as a result of the fifth loss Baffert has just endured he "may not ask for reconsideration of the order, according to the report..."
Animal Wellness Action led the charge on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) in the animal protection space working with coalition partners such as The Jockey Club, NYRA, The Breeders' Cup, Water, Hay, Oats Alliance, and Stronach Group, and Irby testified3 before Congress at the 2020 hearing on the legislation. Yesterday the group weighed in on the Texas court's decision to uphold the HISA.
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies, and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that's why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don't. We believe helping animals helps us all.
Marty Irby
Animal Wellness Action
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WATCH NOW: Marty Irby films American Pharoah winning the 2015 Preakness at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KINgjU7KEkc
1 https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/258157/appeals-court-orders-outright-dismissal-of-baffert-case
2 https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Baffert_loses_another_attempt_to_have_90_day_suspension_halted_123
3 https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF17/20200128/110418/HHRG-116-IF17-Wstate-IrbyM-20200128.pdf