Bob Baffert sues Churchill Downs over 2-year suspension

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bob Baffert has sued Churchill Downs and track leadership in federal court, seeking to overturn the Hall of Fame trainer’s two-year suspension on grounds it violated his due process rights. The suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court names Churchill Downs Inc., CEO William C. Carstanjen and board chair R. Alex Rankin. The historic track suspended Baffert last spring through 2023 and cited a recent spate of failed drug tests by his horses including now-deceased colt Medina Spirit after he won the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs called Baffert’s lawsuit disappointing but not surprising in a statement and said it would fight the suit.