Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a drug test over the weekend and his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, is denying any wrongdoing — and blaming cancel culture.
Baffert went on Fox News Monday morning to talk about the test, which could threaten his horse’s Derby win and his own historic racing legacy.
“We live in a different world now,” he told Fox News. “This America is different, and it was like a cancel culture kind of a thing.”
Bob Baffert blamed “cancel culture” after his horse, Medina Spirit, who won the Kentucky Derby, failed its post-race drug test.
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 10, 2021
“We live in a different world now. This America’s different.” pic.twitter.com/bsQeiV7oXi
The trainer referenced what he called a “harsh” statement from Churchill Downs, the site of the annual high-stakes race. But the statement is pretty anodyne, indicating merely that Baffert was indefinitely suspended from Churchill Downs races pending his appeal. Medina Spirit’s Derby win may also be erased if Baffert’s appeal is unsuccessful. (Baffert is now claiming the failed test may have something to do with dermatitis ointment.)
“Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols threatens the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of the sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate,” the statement said. “Churchill Downs will not tolerate it.”
Such a statement isn’t surprising. Doping is a serious issue in any sport, including horse racing, and competitive bans and the erasure of records are common punishments for athletes caught cheating. Baffert has the right to appeal, but his claims of “cancellation” are gibberish. (Medina Spirit will be allowed to compete in the 146th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, with “rigorous” testing conditions.)
BREAKING: Famed racing horse trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended immediately from entering any horses at Churchill Downs racetrack in Kentucky, after his horse, Medina Spirit, who won the recent Kentucky Derby, failed a post race drug test. pic.twitter.com/l7Yf3jz15B
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 9, 2021
In fact, this is the the fifth failed drug test for Baffert horses in a little more than a year (the trainer had one suspension in Arkansas wiped out on appeal).
Put in context, Baffert’s quick invocation of cancel culture has nothing to do with horse racing. But it is a symptom of a larger simmering issue in American politics.
The term “cancel” first grew from Black culture and gained prominence on Black Twitter when a celebrity did or said something out of line or problematic. From there it spread to other corners of internet culture and eventually became associated with efforts to hold powerful people accountable for racist or queerphobic statements or actions.
Notably, cancel culture has never been a catchall synonym for “consequences.” But increasingly, people like Baffert have tried to portray themselves as victims in an attempt to escape accountability for their own actions. Conservatives especially have rallied around perceived victims of cancel culture (Baffert making his claim on Fox News is not a coincidence). Some have even invoked their “cancelled” status in order to turn a profit on their own notoriety.
Baffert isn’t the only one hoping to incite the specter of cancel culture to gain sympathy or skate on career-threatening charges.
Baffert isn’t the only one hoping to incite the specter of cancel culture to gain sympathy or skate on career-threatening charges. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has gone on a circuit of speaking events and media appearances to complain of being “cancelled” after criticism of his role during the Capitol riot led Simon & Schuster to announce it would not be publishing the senator’s book.








