Chris, I don't remember the story, but the defense sounds similar to the Shuman defense. However, lets assume his vet knew he could give Kafwain more of the substance in Louisiana and did give him more. A difference in dissipation rates with more substance administered could explain the mixup and that on its face seems consistent with what Baffert said.

I was never high on Kafwain for the Derby. drugs or no drugs. He looked sprinty to me from the beginning and I don't think 50 nanograms of go go juice was going to get him the Derby. Which is not to say 7 nanograms over a threshold is permissible. Its an edge. It puts a trainer in a better position than other trainers without the betting public being congnizant of it. That is unacceptable. The penalties in these "threshold" cases are graduated. They are graduated of course, because the substance is permissible within certain parameters. Baffert undoubtedly paid a fine and justifiably had his purse forfeited. The La Derby was an expensive lesson for him and thats the way it should be.

If I had my way. Horses would race on Hay and Oats. No permissible limits of anything. You can still treat them, but if you do they don't race until its all out of their system. I think if they got "back" to that, you'd see breeding focus on the animal and not the conditions.

Ctc



Post Edited (02-17-05 11:19)