Churchill Downs has banned the trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. for an “indefinite period,” citing the sudden deaths of two of his horses over the past five days at the track. The announcement of the decision to ban Joseph came 30 minutes after Kentucky stewards said that Joseph had agreed to scratch all of the horses he had entered at Churchill, including Lord Miles, who was entered in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. The Churchill ban will last “until details [of the deaths] are analyzed and understood,” said Bill Mudd, the chief operating officer of the company, in a statement. The suspension will prevent Joseph “or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Joseph” from entering horses at CDI-owned tracks or applying for stalls at those tracks, Churchill said. “The safety of our equine and human athletes and integrity of our sport is our highest priority,” Mudd said in the statement. “We feel these measures are our duty and responsibility.” The Joseph ban carries echoes of a decision by Churchill in the summer of 2021 to ban the trainer Bob Baffert from its tracks for two years after Baffert’s Medina Spirit tested positive for a regulated medication following the colt’s win in that year’s Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit was disqualified, and Baffert was suspended by Kentucky regulators for 90 days. Private companies like Churchill Downs have wide latitude in issuing bans of individuals from their premises, a right that has been generally upheld by courts. Baffert challenged his own ban earlier this year, but an effort to get a restraining order was unsuccessful, and the judge in that case has raised doubts over whether the trainer’s case will succeed on its merits. Joseph is based in South Florida at Gulfstream Park, but as his stable has expanded rapidly over the past several year, he has begun to routinely ship his horses to rich stakes across the U.S. Just prior to Churchill ordering the ban, the stewards in Kentucky said that they ordered Joseph’s horses to be scratched for “the betterment of racing, the health and welfare of our equine athletes, and the safety of our jockeys.” The decision was made “after consultation” with Joseph, the statement said. Under the order, Joseph will not be able to enter horses in Kentucky “until further notice.” Lord Miles was 30-1 on the Daily Racing Form morning line for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. His scratch will allow Mandarin Hero, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, to draw into the race. The two horses who collapsed and died have brought an unwelcome amount of negative publicity on Churchill in the week prior to the Derby, the most popular race in the U.S. In the past week, five horses have died at the track, including Wild On Ice, a Derby entrant who broke down during a pre-dawn workout last Thursday. On Saturday night, the Joseph-trained Parents Pride collapsed and died after being pulled up in the eighth race. Then, on Tuesday, his Chasing Artie collapsed and died while returning to the unsaddling area following a lackluster effort. Joseph has said he has no explanation for the sudden deaths and that he had ordered bloodwork on all of his horses at Churchill who were previously stabled at Keeneland. He has also said that he has ordered tests on his barn’s feed, hay, and supplements. Under state regulations, all horses that die at licensed racing and training facilities are necropsied. The examinations include toxicology tests and examinations of veterinary records. Mortality reports for sudden deaths do not usually return a definitive cause of death for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are heart abnormalities and internal bleeding. Prior to the order being issued, Joseph scratched his entries on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday cards at Churchill, along with four of the seven horses he had entered on Derby day. Prior to the Churchill ban being issued, Joseph told Daily Racing Form that he was given a choice by the stewards on Thursday afternoon in regards to his remaining horses. “The stewards asked me to scratch the horses,” Joseph said. “If I didn’t scratch them they were going to scratch them so I went ahead and scratched them. It’s unfortunate what happened. All the tests [on the deceased] horses have come back inconclusive. The Kentucky Racing Commission told me this morning there’s no findings of wrongdoing on my part.” Joseph said he did not know where Lord Miles would race next. In addition to Lord Miles, the new scratches include White Abarrio, who was entered in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes, and Master Piece, who was entered in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic. Earlier in the day, Practical Move was taken out of consideration for the Derby, allowing Cyclone Mischief to draw into the field. --additional reporting by David Grening :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.