In an email obtained by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen detailed to employees how the company will approach possible legal action from horse trainer Bob Baffert after he was suspended from entering the Kentucky Derby.
”His case is without merit, and you should be assured that we are considering any and all legal options available to protect our rights, set the record straight and ensure he is held accountable for the damage he has caused our company and brought to the sport at large,” Carstanjen wrote.
Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs and banned from entering horses in the 2022 and 2023 Kentucky Derbies because the horse Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, a legal medication that is not allowed on race day, after winning the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2021.