Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby win is now in danger after a failed post-race drug test. The failed post-race test resulted in the suspension of Hall of Famer trainer Bob Baffert.
“It is our understanding that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s post-race blood sample indicated a violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s equine medication protocols,” Churchill Downs’ official statement said. “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.”
“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,” the Churchill Downs officials said in a statement.
Baffert denied any wrongdoing in the failed post-race drug test. “I got the biggest gut punch in racing for something that I didn’t do,” Baffert said of the failed drug 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.”
Baffert told reporters that he would be transparent and will comply with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. “I intend to thoroughly and transparently investigate the matter to determine how this could have happened,” Baffert said in the statement. “We will have the split sample analyzed and DNA testing performed. That will be the first step in the process.”
Medina Spirit was found to have 21 picograms of betamethasone in its system, Baffert said his barn was told. Medina Spirit is Baffert’s fifth horse known to have failed a drug test in just over a year.
