FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 KEENELAND SEPTEMBER RESUMES FRIDAY BAFFERT RESPONDS TO by Jessica Martini NEW YORK TIMES LEXINGTON, KY - There may have been no bidding at Keeneland Thursday, but it was anything but dark at the sales grounds as ALLEGATIONS consignors were kept busy showing horses to perspective buyers on a sweltering day in the Blue Grass. The 13-day September sale opened with a blockbuster, three-session Book 1 and expectations are for that demand to carry into the two- session Book 2, which gets underway Friday at 10 a.m. “The next two sessions have 365 horses a piece of really quality animals and there is a whole lot of money sitting on the sidelines still, who couldn't get in here on Book 1,” said Keeneland’s vice president of sales and racing Bob Elliston. “I think we are going to see some fireworks still on Friday and Saturday.” Cont. p5 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY BREEZE MASTERS MAY HILL RIVALS Bob Baffert and Justify | Sarah Andrew Two-year-old filly Powerful Breeze (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) kept her unbeaten record intact with a victory in Thursday’s G2 May Hill by Bill Finley S. at Doncaster. In his first public comments since a New York Times story Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. broke that 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) tested positive for the prohibited substance Scopolamine following the colt’s win in the GI Santa Anita Derby, trainer Bob Baffert issued a statement Thursday morning which denied that the drug was intentionally given to the horse. “I unequivocally reject any implication that Scopolamine was ever intentionally administered to Justify, or any of my horses,” Baffert wrote in the statement. “Test results indicating trace amounts of the drug were undoubtedly the result of environmental contamination caused by the presence of jimsonweed in feed, a naturally growing substance in areas where hay and straw are produced in California. In addition, I had no input into, or influence on, the decisions made by the California Horse Racing Board. “Following the Santa Anita Derby, Justify raced in three different jurisdictions during his Triple Crown run--Kentucky, Maryland and New York. He passed all drug tests in those jurisdictions. I call on the relevant testing agencies in those jurisdictions to immediately release information related to Justify’s test results.” Cont. p3 #1 FRESHMAN SIRE KEENELAND SEPTEMBER SALE BOOK 1 8 YEARLINGS SOLD $462,500 AVERAGE $700,000 TOP SELLER LOOK FOR MORE RUNHAPPY YEARLINGS IN THE DAYS AHEAD! Bernie Sams: 859.987.2330 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Friday, September 13, 2019 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Amie Morosco Advertising Assistant/Dir. Of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Photographer/Photo Editor The happy connections of Alfie Solomons (Kantharos), the full-brother to dual surface Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew crack sprinter World of Trouble, who kicked off his career with a debut win at Kentucky [email protected] Downs Thursday. Result follows in NA Racing Section. | Coady Photography Social Media Strategist Justina Severni SPENDTHRIFT ADDS FIVE STALLIONS TO ROSTER 12 Director of Customer Service Spendthrift Farm announced the addition of five stallions Vicki Forbes [email protected] to its 2020 roster Thursday night at its annual breeders’ event, headlined by MGISW Mitole (Eskendereya). Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen LEGENDS OF WAR UPSETS FRANKLIN-SIMPSON 13 Director of Information Technology Legends of War (Scat Daddy) went to the front and forgot Ray Villa [email protected] to stop in Thursday’s GIII Nevada Bank Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky Downs, scoring a 23-1 upset. Bookkeeper Terry May [email protected] TODAY’S GRADED STAKES WORLDWIDE INFORMATION EST Race Click for TV International Editor 9:10a Japan Racing Association Sceptre S.-G3, DON -------------- TVG Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] 10:10a Magners Rose Doncaster Cup S.-G2, DON -------------- TVG European Editor 10:45a Wainwright Flying Childers S.-G2, DON -------------- TVG Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 18 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 Baffert Responds to NYT Allegations cont. from p1 “Justify is the one of the finest horses I’ve had the privilege of training and by any standard is one of the greatest of all time,” Baffert continued. “I am proud to stand by his record, and my own.” Had the California Horse Racing Board disqualified Justify from his win in the Santa Anita Derby he would not have had enough points to make the field for the GI Kentucky Derby. Baffert’s attorney, W. Craig Roberston III, also released a letter he sent to the author of the story, Joe Drape. He called the article “long on sensationalism, short on facts and a great disservice to Mr. Baffert, Justify, and the entire horse industry.” No one has disputed that Justify tested positive for Scopolamine in a race that was run 28 days before the Kentucky Derby. The lingering question is whether or not the California Horse Board erred in not adjudicating the matter in a more timely manner. Proper procedures must be taken between the time a horse fails a drug test and the findings are made public. In an earlier interview with the Thoroughbred Daily News, the CHRB’s equine medical director Rick Arthur said that it can take as many as 60 to 90 days to resolve a drug positive case. In a statement released Thursday by Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery, Flanery said Churchill had not been informed of the Scopolamine positive. “Until media reports surfaced Wednesday night, neither Churchill Downs nor the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had knowledge of any potential positive tests that may have emanated from California in advance of the 2018 Kentucky Derby,” he said. “We do know that all pre- and post-race tests for 2018 Kentucky Derby participants came back clean, including Justify. In advance of our race each year, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission conducts pre-race out-of-competition testing for every Kentucky Derby starter and all starters’ results were clean. After the race, the top finishers are tested for a myriad of banned substances and the results for all were clean.” Scopolamine, though illegal, is generally not considered a performance-enhancing drug. Rather it is found in jimsonweed, which grows wildly, and has been known to inadvertently get mixed into a horse’s feed. In a statement, the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium explained, “Scopolamine (also known as hyoscine) is conventionally used in human medicine for the prevention of motion sickness. It is available by prescription in tablet and transdermal patch formulations. It has also had limited use in conjunction with general anesthesia in reducing airway secretions. It is associated with side effects of dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, nausea and dry mouth.” Cont. p4 IALED the perfect combination 14 BLACK TYPE HORSES in 2019, incl. 2 stakes-winning 2YOs: ONYX, winner of the Sharp Susan S. at Gulfstream STRIVE FOR GLORY, winner of the Tipperary S. in Ireland Largest crop of yearlings selling at KEENELAND SEPTEMBER Mineshaft - Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat Contact Ryan Norton: (859) 254-0424 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 18 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 “Scopolamine has limited historical use in equine veterinary substance in areas where hay and straw are produced in medicine to relieve intestinal spasms in the treatment of gas California. There is a long history of environmental colic,” the statement continued. contamination cases involving “However, gastrointestinal side Scopolamine in the state of effects, potential toxicity and the California. In the past, the CHRB development of safer, more has even issued official advisories effective medications have concerning contaminated feed to rendered its use as a therapeutic horsemen. There is no doubt medication obsolete.” that, with regard to Justify, the “...there was never any alleged positive was the result of intentional administration of environmental contamination Scopolamine to Justify and any from hay or straw. insinuation in your article “I find your article extremely otherwise is not only defamatory, disappointing,” Robertson but is also defies logic and concluded. “Horse racing is a common sense,” Robertson tremendous sport and Mr. wrote to Drape. “No trainer Baffert conducts himself with Justify winning the Santa Anita Derby | Benoit would ever intentionally honesty, class and character. administer Scopolamine to a horse. It has a depressant effect They both deserve better.” and would do anything but enhance the performance of a horse. WinStar chief Elliott Walden, who raced the colt in There is zero scientific evidence to suggest that Scopolamine has partnership, also backed his trainer. any performance-enhancing properties. “It’s a year and a half later, so I don’t remember the exact “... Scopolamine is a known environmental contaminant. It is date, but we were notified about it in mid-April,” Walden said. contained within jimsonweed, which is a naturally growing Cont. p5 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 18 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 “I understood it was a contaminant, a known contaminant in staff recommendation.