ZEDAN DROPPED FROM HORSEPLAYERS' LAWSUIT
by T.D. Thornton
Zedan Racing Stables, Inc., the owner of GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico), has been voluntary dismissed from a class-action federal lawsuit initiated by a group of horseplayers who want to collect damages from a purported years-long pattern of racketeering activity related to the alleged "doping" of Thoroughbreds by trainer Bob Baffert.
Zedan Racing's founder is Amr Zedan. The dismissal "without prejudice" was filed by the plaintiffs June 23.
Baffert, plus his incorporated racing stable, now remain as the only defendants in the suit, which was filed May 13 in United States District Court (Central District of California). Baffert has not yet responded in court to the complaint.
The suit, led by Michael Beychok, the winner of the 2012 National Horseplayers Championship, was filed four days after Baffert's disclosure that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone after winning the Derby.
Baffert's revelation was later confirmed by split-sample testing at two different labs approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, but no ruling has yet been issued over those findings.
The betamethasone finding in the Derby was the fifth positive test in a Baffert trainee for a regulated but prohibited race-day drug within the past year (two others were for lidocaine, one was for dextrorphan, and another also for betamethasone).
GOLDEN PAL ACQUIRED BY COOLMORE, TO TARGET NUNTHORPE
by Alan Carasso
Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), front-running winner of the 2020 GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint for his breeder Randall Lowe, has been purchased by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg with an eye towards a start in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York Aug. 20, a Coolmore official confirmed Wednesday.
The first foal out of Lowe's outstanding 11-time stakes winner Lady Shipman (Midshipman), Golden Pal was bought back on a bid of $325,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale and was runner-up on debut over the Gulfstream main track last April before missing by a neck to The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot in June. The Florida-bred bested his stablemate Fauci (Malibu Moon) to graduate in the Skidmore S. at Saratoga in August and validated 4-5 favoritism in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, scoring by 3/4 of a length at Keeneland last November.
BATTAASH GREENLIGHTED FOR GOODWOOD
Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has exited his fourth-place finish in last week=s G1 King=s Stand S. in good form and is on course to attempt a fifth straight win in Goodwood's G2 King George S. on July 30. The 7-year-old gelding was making his first run since last summer when folding in the late stages after attending a hot pace in the King=s Stand.
EXTRAVAGANT KID ON COURSE FOR JULY CUP
G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner and G1 King's Stand S. third Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) has stayed on in Newmarket following his Ascot exploits, and the American raider will target the G1 July Cup on July 10.
After placing in three stakes races in America earlier this year, the 8-year-old gelding Extravagant Kid hit a new level of form when winning the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan under Ryan Moore, and put in an admirable performance at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori when dropped down to five furlongs. He goes back up to six furlongs for the July Cup.
LOIRE TO BE COVERED BY FRANKEL
by Jessica Owers
Four-year-old Trelawney Stud mare Loire (NZ) (Redoute=s Choice), who won the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas in 2019, is on her way to Frankel (GB) this week. Retired from the track as recently as April, Loire is headed to England for two seasons to meet the Juddmonte sire on Southern Hemisphere time.
It will be her debut effort as a broodmare and, all being well, Loire will return to New Zealand with a Frankel foal at foot and another in utero.
She will board at the Hazelwood operation of Adrian and Philippa O=Brien in Newmarket.
