Derby winner Medina Spirit fails postrace drug test; Bob Baffert banned at Churchill Downs Associated Press 10:02 AM ET5
Baffert denies any wrongdoing after Medina Spirit fails drug test Baffert denies any wrongdoing after Medina Spirit fails drug testHall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert says he was informed that Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test, but denies any wrongdoing.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Medina Spirit's victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a positive postrace 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.
Medina Spirit's win over Mandaloun in the Derby stands -- for now.
"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 shortly after Baffert held a hastily planned morning news conference outside his barn to respond to the latest allegation.
The track said that failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of horses and jockeys, the sport's integrity and the Derby's reputation.
"Churchill Downs will not tolerate it," the statement read. "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 is expected to run in the Preakness on Saturday, barring some abrupt change in plans or a decision from officials at Pimlico or Maryland's racing commission that would prevent him from entering the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
"I got the biggest gut-punch in racing for something that I didn't do," Baffert said of the failed test. "And it's disturbing. It's an injustice to the horse. ... I don't know what's going on in racing right now, but there's something not right. I don't feel embarrassed. I feel like I was wronged. We're going to do our own investigation. We're going to be transparent with the racing commission, like we've always been.
"He's a great horse. He doesn't deserve this. He ran a gallant race," Baffert added. The only horse to be disqualified for medication after winning the Derby is Dancer's Image in 1968.
Medina Spirit is Baffert's fifth horse known to have failed a drug test in just over a year. Flanked by his attorney Craig Robertson, Baffert said his barn was told that Medina Spirit was found to have 21 picograms of betamethasone -- slightly more than double what the trainer said was the allowable amount -- in a postrace sample.
Betamethasone is the same drug that was found in the system of Gamine, another Baffert-trained horse who finished third in the Kentucky Oaks last September. Gamine was eventually disqualified from that finish because of that test and Baffert was fined $1,500. Betamethasone is legal under Kentucky racing rules, though it must be cleared 14 days before a horse races.
"I'm not a conspiracy theorist," Baffert said. "I know everybody is not out to get me, but there's definitely something wrong. Why is it happening to me? You know, there's problems in racing, but it's not Bob Baffert."
Mandaloun, which lost the Derby by a half-length, is not going to the Preakness. If Mandaloun is declared the Kentucky Derby winner, that would mean the Triple Crown pursuit for 2021 would end right there. It is unknown how long Kentucky officials will take to determine whether the results of the Derby should stand or will change.
Baffert was planning to saddle Medina Spirit and Concert Tour in the Preakness, going for a record eighth victory in that race. Except for 2020 when the races were run out of order due to the coronavirus pandemic, Baffert is undefeated with a Derby winner in the Preakness, which holds its post position draw Monday.
Last month, Baffert won an appeals case before the Arkansas Racing Commission after he had been suspended by Oaklawn Park stewards for 15 days for a pair of positive drug tests involving two of his horses that won at the track on May 2, 2020. The horses tested positive for the painkiller lidocaine, which Baffert said they were exposed to inadvertently.
But as Baffert insisted that horse racing can do better preventing doping, he also acknowledged the spotlight.
"I know I'm the most scrutinized trainer and have millions of eyes on me. But you know what? I don't have a problem with that," Baffert said. "The last thing I want to do is do something that would jeopardize the greatest 2 minutes in sports."
The failed drug test is just another in a long series of events shadowing the sport -- and the Derby, its best known and most prestigious race -- in recent years.
Maximum Security crossed the line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified by Churchill Downs stewards for interference in what was an unprecedented move. Country House, which crossed the line second in that race, is now considered the winner.
In March 2020, Jason Servis -- who was Maximum Security's trainer -- was part of a sweeping indictment that involved trainers, veterinarians and pharmacists in a horse doping ring. Baffert faced the doping allegations in Arkansas and Kentucky last year, and now, this.
"I'm worried about our sport," Baffert said. "Our sport, we've taken a lot of hits as a sport. These are pretty serious accusations here, but we're going to get to the bottom of it and find out. We know we didn't do it."
I don't bet on the horses, but I know that a TON of people do. I wonder what will happen, or even if anything can happen, in that world if the horse ends up DQ'd
Since on race day the results were "final" that those are the wagering results, regardless of a DQ.
Here's an excerpt.
Bob Heleringer, author of “Equine Regulatory Law,” told The Courier Journal when the owners of Maximum Security were attempting to overturn that horse's disqualification as the 2019 Kentucky Derby winner that once a race is official, the betting results are final, regardless of mistakes by the track or an appeal.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
Yeah that toothpaste is already out of the tube ... sucks for bettors who had other horses and for the casinos that paid out already (even though we dont need to sympathize with them haha)
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Nothing. If people claimed, the money is theirs. I would imagine if somebody has held their claim, they can still collect.
The trainer, jock, and horse forfeit the money won.
but what about the 2nd place that would now become winner, if someone didn't throw away that ticket, could they claim it?
No, for betting purposes the windows close with the posted winners. There is no going back, that would be impossible and it would be impossible to not cash tickets until a week or so later.
It is what it is.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Bob Baffert has quite a lengthy history of "questionable behavior" when it comes to horse racing. This is far from the first time he has been accused of doping his horses. But as you pointed out, by the time the horses are tested post race, the money has already been handed out. That's what makes it so hard to bet against Bob Baffert.
A quick Google search will show anyone right away the many cheating scandals and accusations Baffert has faced in the past. Even some short term suspensions in certain places. He usually manages to worm his way out of a lot of it, but still, this is a pattern and he is well known in horse racing circles as a cheat.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
What the Kentucky Derby doping scandal means for horse racing
Medina Spirit, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, failed a drug test after the race, putting his victory — and horse racing's integrity — in jeopardy.
Why it matters: Medina Spirit is Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's fifth horse known to have failed a drug test in just over a year.
Details: The drug found in the horse's system was betamethasone, a steroid used to reduce pain and swelling. These kind of drugs can mask injuries, often leading to injuries or death.
What they're saying: Churchill Downs on Sunday suspended Baffert, who insisted that Medina Spirit had not been treated with the drug.
"I don't feel embarrassed, I feel like I was wronged," said Baffert. "These are pretty serious accusations here, but we're going to get to the bottom of it and find out. We know we didn't do it.”
He said he plans to run Medina Spirit at Saturday's Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Preakness officials said they'll make a decision about the horse's eligibility after reviewing the facts.
The state of play: Medina Spirit can't be disqualified until a second sample, collected at the same time as the first, confirms the result. Those results are expected soon, per NYT.
If the positive test is confirmed, Baffert can appeal. If he loses, the runner-up, Mandaloun, will be declared the winner.
Medina Spirit would then be stripped of his title and the $1.8 million winning purse, joining Dancer's Image (1968) as the only Derby winners to receive drug-related disqualifications.
The big picture: This news comes as horse racing, awash in doping scandals, prepares to implement the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.
The landmark legislation will establish an independent organization to regulate medication policy, which is currently handled differently by each state.
It's set to take effect next July, and would see the Federal Trade Commission write rules and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency enforce penalties.
So the trainer has had five horses fail a drug test in just over a year, yet he says the horse ate some "bad hay"... Is this dude related to Josh Gordon??
I'm not a horse racing guy so forgive me for not know the answer to this, but why don't the do drug testing the day before the race and at the conclusion of the race.. wouldn't that stop all the BS
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Ehhhh!!! I don't believe it. I think... this may be the fake media. The Kentucky Derby is an American Tradition, so of course there are those that want to tear it down.
Expecting everyone to buy... that... two years in a row, the horse that crosses the finish line first, can't be called the winner.
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
I'm not a horse racing guy so forgive me for not know the answer to this, but why don't the do drug testing the day before the race and at the conclusion of the race.. wouldn't that stop all the BS
The smart aleck in me would guess that they prefer profits over integrity. $155m wagered for this one race - I'd bet a quick test could be created for a small fraction of that. Of course there's likely a million issues with my suggestion, but ...
Medina Spirit's positive drug test confirmed, reports say
A second drug test of a sample taken from Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit following last month's race has also come up positive for an illegal substance, according to the New York Times and CNBC.
The second test, taken at the request of trainer Bob Baffert, means the horse is a step closer to becoming just the second Derby winner to later be disqualified in the race's 147-year history.
Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby on May 1 by a half-length over Mandaloun. Medina Spirit's win marked a record seventh Derby win for Baffert.
However, a post-race drug test showed that the horse tested positive for betamethasone, a banned substance. Following the positive test, Churchill Downs suspended Baffert from racing horses at the track.
Baffert claims that Medina Spirit had been treated with Otomax earlier this year for a case of dermatitis. He said the vet that applied the ointment was unaware that betamethasone was an active ingredient in the medication.
The only horse to be disqualified for medication after winning the Derby is Dancer's Image in 1968, the Associated Press reports.
According to the AP, Medina Spirit is Baffert's fifth horse to fail a drug test in the past year. Several racing commissions, including the Arkansas Racing Commission, have penalized Baffert in recent months following positive drug tests.
Medina Spirit finished third in the Preakness Stakes last month, ending his Triple Crown bid. In mid-May, the New York Racing Association suspended Baffert from entering horses at Belmont Park, meaning the horse could not compete at the upcoming Belmont Stakes.
By John P. Wise | June 2, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT - Updated June 2 at 4:15 PM
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Bob Baffert won’t be able to win another Kentucky Derby until 2024 at the earliest.
Churchill Downs on Wednesday suspended the Hall of Fame trainer for two years.
Baffert won a record seventh Derby on May 1, but Medina Spirit failed his post-race drug test. On Wednesday, a second sample requested by Baffert confirmed the faulty test result.
“The suspension prohibits Baffert, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Bob Baffert Racing Stables, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all CDI-owned racetracks,” Churchill Downs Incorporated said in a statement. “This decision follows the confirmation by attorneys representing Bob Baffert of the presence of betamethasone, a prohibited race-day substance, in Medina Spirit’s bloodstream on the day of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby in violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s equine medication protocols and CDI’s terms and conditions for racing.”
CDI also said in the statement that it reserves the right to extend Baffert’s suspension if there are additional violations in any racing jurisdiction.
Baffert, who has a barn at Churchill Downs but calls California’s Santa Anita Park his home track, has enjoyed four Derby wins at Churchill in the last seven races, including in 2015 and 2018 when American Pharoah and Justify, respectively, both went on to win the Triple Crown.
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