New York Honoring Baffert's 90-Day Suspension
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Trainer Bob Baffert
The New York Gaming Commission announced April 4 that Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is prohibited from participating in any New York State horse racing activity through "at least July 2," as his 90-day suspension by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission was recently upheld in court.
The Commission said Baffert is suspended in New York and cannot enter horses to run at any New York track, including The New York Racing Association tracks of Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, or Finger Lakes Gaming & Race Track.
On April 1 the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled against Baffert's motion for emergency relief after being issued a 90-day suspension for medication violations. The suspension went into effect April 4. The trainer's attorneys noted the stay was denied on procedural grounds and not on the merits of the case, which they vowed to continue fighting.
New York is one of 38 racing states that honors out-of-state suspensions issued by regulators. Reciprocity is addressed specifically in New York Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law Section 910: "§ 910. Reciprocity of licenses. All license denials, suspensions and revocations imposed by the pertinent racing and gambling authorities of other jurisdictions, including states, United States territories, and Canadian provinces shall be recognized and enforced by the commission ..."