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Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert suspended after horses test positive for banned substance

The 15-day suspension in Arkansas relates to a rule that says a trainer is ultimately responsible for his horse's condition regardless of any third-party act.
In this Friday, May 22, 2020, file photo, Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer, conducts an interview at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Baffert was suspended for 15 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission on Wednesday after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.
In this Friday, May 22, 2020, file photo, Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer, conducts an interview at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Baffert was suspended for 15 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission on Wednesday after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance. [ ASHLEY LANDIS | AP ]
Published July 15, 2020

LOS ANGELES — Two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for 15 days by the Arkansas Racing Commission after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.

The commission said Wednesday in a ruling that it found Baffert violated Rule 1233, which states that a trainer shall ultimately be responsible for the condition of any horse that is entered regardless of the acts of any third parties.

His horses Charlatan and Gamine tested positive for lidocaine, a numbing medication, in two rounds of testing. Both won races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on May 2.

In separate rulings, the commission disqualified both horses and stripped them of their purse earnings.

Baffert’s suspension runs from Aug. 1 -15.

— By BETH HARRIS