Baffert hearing: expert says dosage could have improved Medina performance

A world-renowned vet, providing insight from the south of France in a doping hearing against Bob Baffert, was clear in his view banned substances administered to horses in the care of the legendary trainer could enhance their performances in races.

Baffert, the most famous figure in the sport Stateside, has come under scrutiny in recent years following a number of positive tests from horses in his stable, including last year's ill-fated Kentucky Derby hero Medina Spirit, whose post-race sample included betamethasone, which is banned on raceday.

The outcome of that case has yet to be resolved and Baffert, as it stands, will not be allowed any runners in this year's Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious race in the US and one he has won a record seven times.

In the meantime, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) took action against the charismatic 69-year-old, banning him from having runners at Belmont Park, Saratoga and Aqueduct last year, although that ruling was lifted by a federal court.

Medina Spirit: 2021 Kentucky Derby winner tested positive after Churchill Downs triumphCredit: Tim Nwachukyu (Getty Images)

The organisation, however, brought disciplinary action against Baffert with charges containing allegations dating to July 2019.

The hearing began on Monday when Baffert, who has two Triple Crown successes on his CV, was accused of taking "a wrecking ball to the integrity" of racing.

Tuesday's testimonies were no less interesting as Pierre-Louis Toutain, a vet who got his degree in 1972 and is a visiting professor at the Royal Veterinary College in London, offered his expertise as a witness for the NYRA from his base in Toulouse.

Phenylbutazone, better known as bute and commonly used to treat lameness or stiffness in horses, was found in the post-race samples of Cruel Intention and Eclaire, who ran for Baffert at Del Mar in California in the summer of 2019.

Toutain said bute cannot "enhance performance", but it can "improve performance" by reducing inflammation "because inflammation is painful".

Baffert's legal team said the action was fuelled by a personal vendetta and envy against the Arizona native, highlighting the NYRA was stepping out of its regulatory and geographical framework by relitigating matters that did not happen in New York.

The case of Medina Spirit, who collapsed and died during a workout last month, was another example of that and the discovery of betamethasone, which the Baffert team said came from an ointment to treat a skin irritation, in his system was also explored by Toutain, who described the medicine as "very efficacious".

Bob Baffert disciplinary hearing kicks off with explosive opening day

He added it does not cure, but can mask, an underlying joint condition causing inflammation.

Medina Spirit tested positive for 21 micrograms per millilitre of blood and attorney Henry Greenberg, on behalf of the NYRA, asked Toutain if a concentration of 20 picograms – one microgram equals one million picograms – could enhance a horse's performance during a race.

"Definitively, yes," he responded before concluding his testimony on the lidocaine positives produced by Baffert aces Charlatan and Gamine at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas in May 2020.

Toutain, whose authority on US medication rules was challenged by Baffert's representatives, explained lidocaine, which can be used to treat horses with colic problems, blocks pain and does not cure underlying issues, and added it can also be used to mask injury and can put a horse at risk for injury.

A Hall of Fame trainer, the California-based Baffert, who has also landed the Dubai World Cup on three occasions, was subject to strict protocols to have runners at the Breeders' Cup in November, when he said: "I welcome everything. I want people to know Bob Baffert is a good trainer who takes care of his horses."

Read more on this subject:

Bob Baffert threatens to sue Churchill Downs in complaint over two-year ban

NYRA amends charges against Bob Baffert with two further violations reported

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