Baltas, Yakteen each fined for scuffle at Santa Anita
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainers Richard Baltas and Tim Yakteen were fined $500 by Del Mar stewards on Sunday for their involvement in a physical altercation following an argument during morning training at Santa Anita in late April.
They were cited for disorderly conduct in the incident, which involved intervention by Santa Anita security.
The argument stemmed from a disagreement regarding the decision by Arkansas racing officials to overrule a 2020 ruling by Oaklawn Park stewards to absolve trainer Bob Baffert from penalties involving medication violations at that track. Yakteen is a former assistant to Baffert and remains a close associate of the Hall of Fame trainer.
After words were exchanged, a scuffle ensued between Baltas and Yakteen, according to a complaint filed by the California Horse Racing Board.
Both trainers expressed remorse for the incident in interviews with racing board investigators and in a hearing with Del Mar stewards on Saturday, according to the stewards.
In other rulings published Sunday, jockeys Kyle Frey and Tiago Pereira were fined $500 each for using the whip more than six times in races Friday and Saturday. Frey was cited for his nose win on BV Moonlight in Friday’s first race. Pereira was fined for his ride on Tripoli in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.