The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame said Thursday that trainer Bob Baffert will remain enshrined despite recent controversies, including the scandal involving Medina Spirit.
Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs — the site of the Kentucky Derby — through 2023 after Medina Spirit tested positive for drugs and was stripped of the victory in last May’s Run for the Roses.
Medina Spirit died in December from what Baffert said was a heart attack, though a necropsy report was inconclusive.
“The election to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame is an honor that reflects the viewpoint of an independent nationwide voting panel at that particular time for an eligible candidate in good standing with the sport,” board of trustees president John Hendrickson said in a statement. “The voters deemed Bob Baffert worthy of induction in 2009 and the Hall of Fame will continue to honor the decision made at that time.”
At the time of his induction, Baffert had three Kentucky Derby winners — Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002) — and no Triple Crown-winning horses.
He has since won three more Kentucky Derbies with American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018) and Authentic (2020). American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018) also won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to win the Triple Crown.
The 69-year-old Baffert sued Churchill Downs on Tuesday in hopes of overturning the suspension.
The Racing Hall of Fame, located in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., also announced 11 finalists for induction.
The finalists include six horses (Beholder, Blind Luck, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Rags to Riches, and Tepin), four trainers (Christophe Clement, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, and John Shirreffs) and one jockey (Corey Nakatani).
The inductees will be announced May 11 with the induction ceremony slated for Aug. 5.
–Field Level Media