(Trainer Bob Baffert and Medina Spirit the day after the 2021 Kentucky Derby / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

There were a lot of things flying around at the annual Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company 2-Year-Old Sale today in Central Floria.

There was a lot of money flying. To be sure.

There were some high-valued horses, some of whom may be about ready to take flight in upcoming races over the next few days and months ahead, too.

And, there were numerous reports that the embattled horse trainer Bob Baffert — who is currently serving a 90-day suspension set down by the Kentucky State Stewards and is currently not permitted access to any grounds that are under the jurisdiction of the various racing commissions and oversight boards throughout the country that recognize and reciprocate on all such rulings — was also flying around OBS, as well.

Rut ro.

After all, some may argue that visitation could become a fly in the ointment, so to speak.

After the news hit the airwaves about Baffert’s appearance at the Ocala sale, questions immediately began to pop.

Are the sales grounds at OBS under the jurisdiction and supervision of the regulatory body in the State of Florida?

After all, the track has held live races in the past and currently has training facilities that are utilized by both local horse people in preparing horses for both the sales and upcoming race meets in other jurisdictions. According to multiple sources, pari-mutuel wagering is conducted on some of the grounds, too.

If you examine the public documents on file and available through various searches, it certainly appears that the OBS Sales Company has been required and does hold a number of different licenses to conduct its’ business. Or, at the very least, it has in the past.

A quick search of the state’s database revealed a number of different licenses held by the company.

Which begs another question…

If the sales’ grounds and all of the company’s facilities are regulated by a Florida oversight board, then do the Florida regulators also recognize and enforce the same penalties and suspensions in other states — like most, if not all, have already agreed to do in both this case and others in the past? And, if so, is Baffert suspended from those grounds?

If that is true, it begs yet another question…

If both of those cases are true, did Baffert violate the terms and conditions of his suspension by attending the OBS Sale on Tuesday and by gaining access to licensed premises of a licensed facility?

If that is true, too, then it begs yet another question…

If, in fact, Baffert did violate the terms of the current suspension, what are the remedies that could or could not be considered? Would any additional penalties be considered or warranted? Would Kentucky regulators entertain such an expansion?

Or, it could beg a final question, for now. Did Baffert and/or his attorneys seek a ruling and clearance from the Florida regulatory body and others that oversee suspensions and penalties in advance? They did seek and get permission? They did get a hall pass?

Apparently, the answer to that last question is no. But all in all?

All good questions.

Yet, questions that, for now, must go unanswered. At least for the time being.

We reached out to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation late on Tuesday, but the offices were closed. And, we could not find a phone extension that had an answering machine. We will reach back out on Wednesday.

We reached out to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, too. Currently, they do not know if the sales grounds and other facilities are licensed premises and would fall under the terms and conditions of the current suspension. More research is needed.

We did reach out to Clark Brewster, an attorney for Baffert. And, to his credit, he immediately took the call. Immediately. And, we talked. And, we talked. And, we talked. Very cordially and amicably. And, we talked.

In the end, we got back to the question at hand, about Baffert attending the sale in Ocala and whether or not that could be construed as a violation of his suspension.

Brewster said:

“I don’t think the terms of reciprocity would extend to something like this. Not at all. That would pertain to entering horses in races; or engaged in actual training. That’s not what this is. I don’t think it would extend to attending a horse sale. That certainly would be a stretch, don’t you think. What if Churchill Downs was hosting a concert or something like that. Would a person suspended not be permitted to attend the concert?

“I think Bob was there looking at horses for himself, and he may have had one in the sale (to sell), as well. No way would this be construed as a violation of the suspension. That would be a real stretch.”

Brewster very well may be right. Others, very well, may disagree. I guess only time will tell how this entire episode will get resolved and when.

What is obvious, at this point, is that Baffert — whose court challenges and requests to seek a stay of his suspension have been denied both by the Franklin Circuit Court and the Kentucky Court of Appeals — must not be too worried about his appearance at OBS on Tuesday.

After all, according to a report by “The Thoroughbred Daily News” Baffert was reportedly with owner Amr Zedan — who was the owner of the ill-fated Medina Spirit — when a team of bloodstock agents and others bid a whopping $2.3 million to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo.

In today’s online edition, “The TDN” reported the following:

“A colt by Coolmore super sire Uncle Mo (Hip 206) inspired a furious round of bidding during the opening session of the OBS Spring Sale Tuesday, hammering for $2.3 million to bloodstock agent Gary Young, who was acting on behalf of Amr Zedan. Young did his bidding alongside Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who will train the colt at the conclusion of his suspension. Coolmore was the underbidder on the bay colt.”

Mr. Baffert may be in the right to attend the sale.

Mr. Brewster may be entirely right and that the suspension would not extend to these grounds and these types of events.

But, for now, “The TDN” story is accurate about one thing, to be sure. The Hall of Fame trainer will not be allowed to train the newly acquired colt until “…the conclusion of his suspension.”

Whenever that may be.