A Baffert horse wins on the same day another is mortally wounded
Bob Baffert, the most accomplished and controversial horse trainer in America, returned to the Triple Crown course on Saturday to watch his colt National Treasure win the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes. The win came after Baffert’s two-year suspension from the sport’s main leg for a doping violation, and hours after another of his horses died while competing in an undercard race at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course.
It was the kind of afternoon that leaves many Americans wondering how long America’s oldest sport can continue to renew its Social Security license.
Earlier in the afternoon, Havnameltdown, another three-year-old colt from Baffert, fell around the furthest corner in the $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes, tumbling to the ground and releasing his rider Luis Saez.
In a grim scene reminiscent of the seven horses that died in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby, veterinarians swarmed to the ailing colt, erected a screen so that the crowd and television viewers present couldn’t watch, and euthanized him by injection.
About five hours later, a cheering Baffert was fighting back tears while talking about National Treasure beating Blazing Sevens by a head. Kentucky Derby winner Mage, compromised by slow pace, finished third.
The win was Baffert’s eighth in the second leg of the Triple Crown, breaking a record held by late 19th century trainer R. Wyndham Walden. It was the first Preakness win for Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, a striking hole in a resume full of big wins.
“This business is with twists and turns, ups and downs,” Baffert said after National Treasure won. “Losing that horse today really hurts. I’m very happy for Johnny that he won. It was a very emotional day.”
National Treasure ran the mile and three-sixteenth in 1 minute and 55.12 seconds, rewarding its backers with $7.80 on a $2 bet to win in the $1.65 million race.
“Gee, it’s been a while,” Velazquez said of his long-sought victory. “With all the blessings I’ve had and all the success I’ve had in other races, there was no way I won this one.”
Baffert, 70, trained Medina Spirit, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby but failed a test for a banned drug, becoming only the second horse in Derby history to have his win revoked due to a drug violation. The foal died suddenly the following December, possibly of a heart attack. An autopsy performed by California state veterinarians was inconclusive.
Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, has since served a suspension from Kentucky regulators and a two-year suspension from the Derby and its host, Churchill Downs. Last year, Baffert was serving his Kentucky suspension during the Triple Crown, so the Maryland and New York race commissions kept him away from the Preakness and the Belmont.
His triumphant return to Pimlico was marred by the death of Havnameltdown. The horse was euthanized by racecourse veterinarians after being examined by a team led by Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinarian for the company that owns Pimlico.
“During subsequent evaluation, she noted an inoperable bullet injury to the left front leg,” the company, the Stronach Group, said in a statement, referring to a joint in the horse’s front leg. “Due to the severity and prognosis of the injury, Dr. Benson and her counterparts made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Havnameltdown.”
Saez, Havnameltdown’s rider, was transported to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore after complaining of leg pain. According to the company, he was in stable condition and conscious.
Velazquez, the Hall of Famer who raced National Treasure, said he was shocked by the death at the track.
“Honestly, it felt like a knife to my heart when I saw it,” Velazquez said of the horse’s injuries and his counterpart, Saez. “It’s terrible when you see it. It’s hard to stay focused and keep going.”
Following the deaths at Churchill Downs prior to the Kentucky Derby, Preakness officials took a cautious stance on pre-race exams. First Mission, the 5-2 second pick in the morning line, was scratched out of the race early Friday morning with an unspecified left rear ankle injury.
The extra check was extended to every horse that participated during the weekend. Officials required two veterinary authorizations before a horse could run — one from the trainer’s private veterinarian, the other from the regulatory veterinarian in the state the horse was stabled in before coming to Baltimore.
Stronach Group officials declined to comment on how Havnameltdown was cleared to compete in the race despite the additional evaluation.
Baffert had no explanation either.
“It’s the worst feeling,” Baffert said on Saturday. “And we mourn. We mourn when these things happen. There is nothing worse than coming back and the stall is empty.”
Animal rights activists blamed the sport’s owners and trainers for a lax effort to protect horses.
They pointed to opposition from equestrian groups to the newly created Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, established by Congress overseen by the Federal Trade Commission, which will become the sport’s governing body on Monday.
Kathy Guillermo, a senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the drug violations and horse deaths that Baffert cared for required more investigation.
“Pimlico should have followed Churchill Downs’ example and kept Bob Baffert off the track,” she said.
Melissa Hopper reporting contributed.