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Judge denies Baffert request to reverse Churchill Downs ban
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FILE - Trainer Bob Baffert waits for the Breeders' Cup horse races at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 5, 2021. A federal judge on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, denied Baffert’s request to lift his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., ruling that the Hall of Fame trainer did not prove its discipline hurt his business and reputation. - photo by AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge denied Bob Baffert’s request to lift his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., ruling Friday that the Hall of Fame trainer did not prove its discipline hurt his business and reputation. Baffert will miss his second consecutive Kentucky Derby, and per a Churchill Downs rule, he has until Feb. 28 to transfer his Derby-eligible horses to other trainers in order for them to possibly run in the May 6 race. Baffert last year transferred Taiba and Messier to former assistant Tim Yakteen for the Derby.