With Time Running Out In Legal Wars, Bob Baffert Says Four Of His Horses Are Transferred To New Trainers

While Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s legal matters continue to play out in the Kentucky court system, four of his horses were transferred to two different trainers — Tim Yakteen and Rodolphe Brisset — with the hope that the horses might accumulate enough points to compete in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Baffert, 69, was suspended for two years by Churchill Downs following last year’s positive drug test of Medina Spirit, the original 2021 Derby winner trained by Baffert.

Medina Spirit, who died in December during a workout at Santa Anita, was stripped of the ‘21 Derby title earlier this year by a three-member panel of Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stewards. The ‘21 Derby runner-up, Mandaloun, was crowned the new winner and the $1.8 million purse went to its connections.

But the KHRC ruling also included a 90-day suspension and a $7,500 fine for Baffert. He and his legal team appealed the ruling, only to have a Franklin (Ky.) Circuit Court judge deny Baffert’s request for a stay of the suspension. Judge Thomas Wingate did move the start date of the suspension from March 8 to April 4 so Baffert’s team could file an appeal.

Baffert also sued Churchill Downs (CDI) in Kentucky federal court March 1, and CDI’s chief executive officer, Bill Carstanjen, and one of its board members, R. Alex Rankin, are also defendants in the suit. Baffert claims the defendants have “unlawfully deprived and will continue to deprive Baffert of his right to due process of law guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment and of his right to participate in horseracing in Kentucky under Kentucky law,” according to the suit.

While the one appeals process plays out, Baffert would be in jeopardy of not being able to enter any of his horses in this year’s Derby, considered the country’s most prestigious event in thoroughbred horse racing. Baffert-trained horses have won the Derby six times, and two of those horses went on to win the Triple Crown.

“The most important thing to me is that Messier, Doppelganger, McLaren Vale, and Blackadder – some of the top talents in racing this year – are able to compete,” said Baffert in a statement.

Now, California trainer Yakteen will oversee three of those horses — Messier, Doppelganger and McLaren Vale — while the Kentucky-based Brisset will train Blackadder. The four horses are owned by SF Racing LLC.

“They’ll showcase themselves in their next starts,” Yakteen said in an interview, referring to the three Baffert horses. “We’re hoping that they have the talent to carry us to the Derby. It’s exciting. They have impressed me, from what I’ve seen as an outsider.”

Yakteen said Messier — who won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 15 lengths at Santa Anita Park February 6 — and McLaren Vale would next race in the Santa Anita Derby scheduled for April 9, and that Doppelganger would likely run in the Arkansas Derby April 2.

“Provided they run to my expectations, and SF’s expectations, they’ll validate themselves, get the points that are necessary to take us to the Derby,” said Yakteen. “You want your horses to be competitive in the Derby. That’s what we’re looking for. These next races coming up are the ones that are going to have the most amount of points awarded to them.”

Yakteen said he had no idea that the transfer would take place, and that he hoped Baffert “would be able to get things sorted, where (SF Racing) could campaign under his coaching into the Derby.”

“I think that would have been the ideal scenario,” said Yakteen. “It’s a tough deal. I’ve known Bob a long time. Any time our industry has a challenge, like what Bob’s going through, it’s always tough.”

Baffert’s legal team contends that he treated Medina Spirit with a topical ointment that contained betamethasone, a corticosteroid, but that Baffert didn’t violate any rules since he didn’t inject the colt.

Baffert also faces a possible lengthy suspension from the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which issued a temporary suspension last year. There was a NYRA administrative hearing held January 24 through January 28 this year. O. Peter Sherwood, a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice, presided over the hearing and will deliver a ruling.

Yakteen said he was just grateful to have “some nice horses” all of the sudden be under his care.

“(Baffert’s) team lost a few of their top players,” said Yakteen. “Touch wood, when it comes to the Derby, it’s like any sport at that level, you need things to go smooth and fall your way. Sometimes that’s the difference between winning and losing. Hopefully we’ll have some luck on our side. SF are big supporters of our industry, and I’d love to see the connections be able to celebrate and be proud of the recruits.”