Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit could be disqualified following a positive test for illegal substances after the race.
In addition, winning trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended from entering horses in races at Churchill Downs.
According to NBC Sports:
The horse that won the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit, has failed a drug test and its Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been indefinitely suspend from Churchill Downs, officials said Sunday.
In a news conference Sunday morning, Baffert said the winning horse tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone, 11 picograms above the legal limit in Kentucky racing, NBC Lexington affiliate WLEX said. Shortly after, Churchill Downs, who hosts the Derby, announced his suspension.
Get in on Dogecoin now by joining Robinhood
“Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate. Churchill Downs will not tolerate it,” the organization said in a statement.
Baffert called the drug test results “disturbing” and “the biggest gut punch in racing for something I didn’t do,” according to WLEX.
The trainer said he didn’t know why Medina Spirit would have tested positive for the drug, which is an anti-inflammatory. He called the incident “a complete injustice” and said he feels “wronged.”
