Bob Baffert's suspension at Churchill Downs begins Monday after motion denied

Bob Baffert's latest attempt to avoid a two-year suspension at Churchill Downs has been dismissed.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals' acting chief judge Allison Jones denied Baffert's motion for an emergency stay Friday afternoon. 

Baffert's suspension from the race track begins Monday.

“The motion for emergency relief under CR 65 07(6) is DENIED,” Jones' opinion reads. “The Court emphasizes that it makes no determination of the merits of Baffert's contentions of error. The underlying motions for interlocutory relief along with any additional, dispositive motions shall be assigned to a three-Judge panel of this Court following expiration of the response time prov1ded in the Civil Rules.”

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had asked the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to dismiss Baffert's motion Tuesday. Baffert's lawyers were seeking a mid-April hearing.

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Baffert is suspended following the discovery of betamethasone found in a blood test of Medina Spirit, a Baffert-owned horse who cross the finish line first in last year's Kentucky Derby. The drug is considered a possible performance enhancer and is illegal on race day. 

“We applaud Judge Allison Jones for upholding the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s suspension of notorious trainer Bob Baffert that will prevent him from running horses at the 148th Kentucky Derby next month," Animal Wellness Action executive director Marty Irby said in a statement. "Baffert's flagrant disregard for the rules of horse racing has resulted in this long overdue consequence, and we hope this decision will help lift the cloud of darkness that's loomed over the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville for the past several years.

Medina Spirit was disqualified as the winner of the race and did not compete in the rest of horse racing's Triple Crown. Medina Spirit died in December following a workout in Santa Anita.

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On June 2, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced it was suspending Baffert two years, barring him and all horse he owned from the 2022 and '23 Kentucky Derbys, for a series of five drug violations the previous 12 months.

Baffert waited to file a lawsuit against the ban until March 1.

“We were disappointed by today’s decision, but it’s important to understand that the court made it clear that it denied the stay purely on procedural grounds and not on the merits, all of which point to Bob ultimately winning this case. We will continue to fight for Bob’s ability to race and win in Kentucky and against the injustice of KHRC against Bob,” said Clark Brewster, attorney for Bob Baffert.

Last week, he announced he was moving four of his 3-year-old horses to new trainers, so they would be eligible to race in the Kentucky Derby and the rest of the Triple Crown events.

The 148th Kentucky Derby will be held May 7.

Follow assistant sports editor Jake Adams on Twitter @jakeadams520