Arkansas Racing Commission to hear Baffert's appeal on lidocaine positives April 19-20

The Arkansas Racing Commission has scheduled hearings on April 19 and April 20 to hear an appeal by trainer Bob Baffert of two positives for the painkiller lidocaine at Oaklawn Park last year, according to Baffert’s attorney.

Craig Robertson, Baffert’s attorney, is expected to argue that the two horses were inadvertently exposed to lidocaine due to a medicated patch worn by his assistant, who saddled the two horses on the day both tested positive. Robertson has also said that the amount of lidocaine found in the horses’ systems would not have impacted the horses’ performances.

The two positives arose from post-race samples taken from Gamine and Charlatan, who both won races on the May 2 card at Oaklawn. Gamine, who would go on to be named champion female sprinter, won an allowance race that day by 11 lengths at odds of 3-5, while Charlatan won a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths at odds of 2-5. Charlatan suffered an injury midway through 2020 but returned to the races late last year and recently finished second in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Lidocaine is a Class B positive. Both horses were disqualified from their races, and Baffert was suspended 15 days.