A hearing into an appeal by the trainer Bob Baffert of a 90-day suspension he served earlier this year began on Monday with Baffert taking the stand as the first witness called by attorneys representing Kentucky’s stewards, according to officials involved in the appeal. Baffert was the sole witness to appear during the first day of the hearing, which began at 1 p.m. Eastern in an office building in Frankfort, Ky. Baffert was called by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s general counsel, Jennifer Wolsing, who is representing the state’s stewards. Baffert is seeking to have the 90-day suspension reversed on appeal, despite having already served the penalty. Baffert was suspended in February by Kentucky stewards after a horse he trained, the late Medina Spirit, tested positive for betamethasone, a regulated anti-inflammatory drug, after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Baffert served the suspension after the commission and a judge refused to stay the penalty while he appealed the decision. The opening day of the hearing began with attorneys for both sides presenting their opening statements. Craig Robertson, one of Baffert’s attorneys, said on Monday night that he emphasized two points during his opening statement: that Kentucky’s rules about betamethasone do not apply to ointments containing the medication, and that evidence gathered by Baffert’s legal team confirms that the horse was treated with an ointment, and not injected with the drug. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures Kentucky stewards have said in earlier court proceedings that Kentucky’s regulations do not differentiate between routes of administration of betamethasone, and the attorneys representing the stewards were expected to make the same argument during their opening statements. Medina Spirt was disqualified as a result of the positive, and the horse’s owner, Amr Zedan, is also seeking to have the disqualification nullified as a part of the appeal. Medina Spirt died of a suspected cardiac event after a workout in December at Santa Anita Park in Southern California. The appeal is being argued in front of a hearing officer, who will prepare a report following the conclusion of the hearing that will include “findings of fact,” “conclusions of law,” and a recommended course of action, as directed by Kentucky’s statutes on appeals. The report will be issued to the full Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which will then vote on whether to accept or reject the hearing officer’s recommendation.