Avid Hobby Jogger wrote:
Allegations of doping have dogged Baffert for years. I hope finally they get him. It is unnatural the way some of his horses re-break in the stretch after setting blazing early fractions. Arrogate's performance in the Travers a few summers ago was so unbelievable. Also from the article, this well known story:
"Baffert has endured previous regulatory proceedings in California
In 2013, after seven horses in his care died over a 16-month period, he was the subject of a report by the board, which revealed he had been giving every horse in his barn a thyroid hormone without checking to see if any of them had thyroid problems.
Baffert told the investigators that he thought the medication would help “build up” his horses even though the drug is generally associated with weight loss. In that case, the board’s report found no evidence “that C.H.R.B. rules or regulations have been violated.”"
Baffert comes from the quarterhorse industry. That is far more crooked than thoroughbreds. Go look at any set of entries at a quarterhorse track, especially Los Alamitos and the tracks in New Mexico, and you will see horses with the word "Cartel" in their name. Yes, the drug cartels own horses and actually advertise it.
Thyroid medication? The NOP of horse racing?