The Jefferson County Circuit Court rejected a plea from thoroughbred owner Amr Zedan to allow his horse, Moot, to play for the upcoming Kentucky Derby. To put it into context, Moot was trained by controversial trainer Bob Baffert, who was discontinued in 2021.
Medina Spirit, one of Baffert's trained horses, was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. The trainer's ban was originally set to expire before this year's Kentucky Derby race but was extended after he pleaded not guilty.
For the past few years, Baffert has agreed to move his horses to another trainer's barn to allow them to run in the Kentucky Derby. However, the trainer has refused to do so this year, meaning he will not participate in this year's race.
This could mean a less interesting race given Baffert's popularity and skill as a trainer. For context, his horses have won six Kentucky Derby, eight Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks. He has also trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh and the 2018 Triple Crown winner Justice. 바카라사이트
Churchill Downs Blames Altar's Legal Efforts
At Wednesday's hearing, Judge Mitchell Perry questioned the altar's decision to file Baffert's request now, rather than a year before his ban was extended. He also noted that allowing other horses trained by Moot and Baffert to run would unfairly affect the race, as it could mean other horses that qualified would need to be removed from the race.
Also, the judge determined that public trust was essential to Churchill Downs' business. That was why Perry turned down the altar's request.
In response to the altar's efforts to engage Moot, Churchill Downs dismissed his submission as an example of "Derby Fever."
Meanwhile, one of Baffert's lawyers, Clark Brewster, could actually benefit from maintaining the ban. Baffert, who is also the owner of a racehorse, is a part-owner of the Track Phantom, a promising contender for the Kentucky Derby.
