Trainer Bob Baffert’s attempt to run horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby was once again denied when a federal district court in Louisville, Ky., denied his request for a preliminary injunction. Baffert is currently serving a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. after Medina Spirit tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day, after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
Baffert and owner Amr Zedan can appeal Friday’s decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. However, given the glacial nature of the legal system, it’s unclear whether that court would grant a temporary injunction while the case makes its way to be heard. Churchill Downs has placed a Feb. 28 deadline on when a horse can be transferred to another trainer should Baffert not be allowed to run.
Clark Brewster, the lead attorney for Baffert and Zedan, did not immediately respond to The Los Angeles Times.
