Looking for an unusual idea for a truly terrifying Halloween costume? You can make this easy âBob Baffertâ costume with just a few key items. Disgraced Thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert has a record of more than 30 drug violations during his career, and 74 horses have died in his care in California since 2000. It gets scarierâhis proven record of violations has continued: The Baffert-trained Kentucky Derby âwinnerâ Medina Spirit tested positive for an excess of corticosteroid betamethasone in 2021 and may be disqualified.
Hereâs what you need to make a quick âBob Baffertâ costume to scare all of your friends:
For his clothes, youâll need a black blazer, a white button-down shirt, a yellow tie, and the iconic sunglasses.
Donât forget a white hair wig.
And add a poppy-seed bagelâbecause he once successfully argued that the morphine found in his horseâs system came from one that a stable employee had been nibbling on.
Youâll also need a giant syringe, because you donât think about Baffert without thinking about his history of drug violations.
Donât forget to practice your excuses in case anyone questions you about the growing graveyard of racehorses who died in your care. âCancel cultureâ and feed contamination from a groom who urinated in a stall are both real excuses that Baffert used in the past after positive tests.
Be warnedâdressing as such a shady character may result in fewer treats this Halloween. Even many in the racing industry are fed up with Baffertâs excuses. Churchill Downs has suspended him for two years, and the Breedersâ Cup recently announced that stricter security measures will be put in place just for Bob, including a security officer who will be equipped with a body cam and investigators who will monitor his barn âround the clock.
Despite Baffertâs record and that of others like him, horse racing trainers routinely mask horsesâ preexisting injuries with drugs. In 2020 alone, 69 horses died at New York racetracks, and 63 have died in 2021 so far after sustaining fatal injuries on the track. You can help prevent horses from enduring the same fate by urging the New York State Gaming Commission to take action now:
Take Action for Horses in New York
Source: Peta.org