Medina Spirit could lose Ky. Derby win; track bans Baffert John Velazquez riding Medina Spirit leads Florent Geroux on Mandaloun, Flavien Prat riding Hot Rod Charlie and Luis Saez on Essential Quality to win the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Ky. (Source: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) By Associated Press | May 9, 2021 at 4:23 AM HST - Updated May 10 at 10:23 PM
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a failed postrace drug test, one that led Churchill Downs to suspend Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Sunday in the latest scandal to plague the sport.
Churchill Downs suspends trainer Baffert after failed drug test on Kentucky Derby winner startribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from startribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Kentucky Derby winner fails drug test; trainer says he’ll fight those results: ‘I feel like I was wronged’
Updated May 09, 2021;
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a positive post-race drug test, one that prompted Churchill Downs to suspend Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert immediately on Sunday in the latest scandal to plague the sport.
Baffert denied all wrongdoing and promised to be fully transparent with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission during its investigation. Baffert’s barn received word Saturday that Medina Spirit had tested positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone, which is sometimes used to treat pain and inflammation in horses.
The horse that won the Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test, putting the victory in doubt and raising questions about the tactics of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has faced accusations of cheating in the past. If a subsequent drug test confirms the results, Medina Spirit will be stripped of the title. For now, Churchill Downs has suspended Baffert, who has denied all wrongdoing.
“To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit’s results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner,” Churchill Downs officials said in a statement. “Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack.”
Medina Spirit could lose Ky. Derby win; track bans Baffert
May. 09, 2021 at 12:10 pm
GARY B. GRAVES, AP Sports Writer
Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a failed postrace drug test, one that led Churchill Downs to suspend Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert immediately on Sunday in the latest scandal to plague the sport.
Baffert denied all wrongdoing and promised to be fully transparent with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission during its investigation. Baffert’s barn received word Saturday that Medina Spirit had tested positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone, which is sometimes used to treat pain and inflammation in horses.