PETA calls for ban of Bob Baffert in statement regarding death of horse ahead of Preakness Stakes

Bob Baffert experienced an emotional day as he appeared at his first Triple Crown event in two years. One of his horses died after an undercard race. Then his National Treasure won the featured event at Pimlico.

After the horse he trained won the Preakness, PETA called for his ban from all of horse racing.

“Pimlico should have followed Churchill Downs’ example and barred Bob Baffert from the track,” PETA said in a statement to the media. “Baffert has been implicated in drugging scandals, the deaths of seven horses who collapsed in California, and at least 75 horses in his care have died. The tragic death of Havnameltdown is the latest in a long line of fatalities. The racing industry must kick out the bad guys or it will have blood on its hands as well as blood on its tracks.”

A horse Bob Baffert trained last raced at the Preakness in May, 2021. That’s when Medina Spirit, who’d won the Kentucky Derby, finished third at Pimlico. The horse had tested positive at the Derby for a corticosteroid, an anti-inflammatory that’s banned for race-day use. But it had been drug free at the start of the Preakness. Medina Spirit eventually was stripped of the Kentucky Derby title. The horse died of an apparent heart attack in late 2021. The Kentucky Racing Commission suspended Baffert for 90 days for 2022, which meant no Derby. The states of Maryland (for the Preakness) and New York (for the Belmont Stakes) honored the suspension, so Baffert wasn’t eligible for any of the three Triple Crown races.

A Bob Baffert trained horse died after first race at Pimlico

Havnameltdown, a horse trained by Baffert, suffered a catastrophic leg injury in the first race of the day. Baffert said the horse was injured coming out of the gate. He and Ryvit were in the lead as they came to the second turn. Then Havnameltdown appeared to be in distress and he tossed jockey Luis Saez to the track. The chief vet at the track said that Havnameltdown’s leg injury was inoperable, so the horse was euthanized. Saez was checked at a local hospital, then released.

Havnameltdown was the ninth horse to die during Triple Crown race preparation. Eight of the horses died in connection to the Kentucky Derby.

But as devastated as Bob Baffert was at the death of Havnameltdown, he still was ecstatic that National Treasure won the second leg of the Triple Crown. It was Baffert’s eighth Preakness win.

“It’s been a very emotional day,” Baffert said, as he choked back tears during an interview with NBC. “This business is all twists and turns, the ups and downs. … The emotions of this game … to win this … losing that horse today really hurt.”

He added “It’s the love of the horse that just keeps me focused and keeps me going,” he said. “I just kept the noise out. … It was tough. We’ve had some tough moments. But it’s days like this — it’s not really vindication. It’s just — I feel like we have a moment we can enjoy.”