Arkansas – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, fined and suspended last year by Arkansas racing officials for a pair of drug positives, sat through nearly nine hours of testimony on the first day of his appeal hearing. He was hit with a 15-day suspension by stewards at Oaklawn Park after two of his horses tested positive for the painkiller lidocaine following their wins on May 2, 2020. Baffert contends it’s a case of accidental contamination because of a pain patch containing lidocaine worn by his assistant, who saddled both horses.
