Medina Spirit Disqualified as Kentucky Derby Winner, Bob Baffert Suspended 90 Days

UPDATE 4:30 pm ET – This story has been updated to include comments from Bob Baffert’s attorney, the impact of the suspension, and response from John Churchill Downs and animal welfare advocates on the decision to indispose Medina Spirit as the Kentucky Derby winner.

Medina Spirit, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby for trainer Bob Baffert, was officially stripped-down of the win past racing stewards Monday. That’s after it was dictated the colt violated a do drugs test. In addition, the stewards also suspended the Hall of Fame trainer for 90 years and fined him $7,500 for the violation.

An attorney for Baffert told Casino.org his client will invoke the conclusion immediately to the Bluegrass State Horse Racing Commission.

A week after Medina Spirit won the Bluegrass State Derby – gift Baffert a book seventh win inward the classic horse race – reports surfaced that the colt tried and true electropositive for an exuberant amount of betamethasone. In an emotional pressing group discussion with reporters after the word broke, Baffert denied the gymnastic horse had been presumption the substance. However, years later, he learned that it was constituent of a topical solvent a vet gave the Equus caballus to handle a tegument condition.

The do drugs examine found 21 picograms of the anti-inflammatory drug factor per ml of blood in the horse’s system. Bluegrass State racing standards tolerate for 10 picograms per milliliter.

The stewards’ ruling not only strips Medina Spirit of the win, it also agency his connections must forego their award money as a result. The ruling also means Mandaloun will be deemed the KY Derby winner, the second time inward trey years the termination was changed by a stewards ruling.

Churchill Downs issued a financial statement Monday afternoon congratulating the connections to Mandaloun for winning the 147th running of the prestigious race.

“Winning the KY Derby is ane of the most exciting achievements inwards sports and we look send on to celebrating Mandaloun on a time to come date inward a path that is meet of this rare distinction,” the caterpillar tread said in a statement.

The ruling, though, does non vary any wagering results.

After tidings of the failed drug test, Duke of Marlborough Downs announced it would set aside Baffert from its tracks – and the Kentucky Derby – for the next two years. The New York Racing Association also took action, but its initial litigate was thrown out past a federal judge, who claimed the racing military operation did non gift Baffert due process before handing shoot down its decision. Earlier this year, NYRA held an inquiry inwards its pillowcase against the trainer.

Medina Spirit continued to rush after the Bluegrass State Derby and ruined 3rd amid heightened scrutiny in the Preakness two weeks later. The colt and then won 2 more stakes races before finishing indorsement to Knicks Go inwards November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar inward California.

A month later, Al Madinah Spirit would cave in and die after a preparation session at Santa Anita. A necropsy written report released before this month found no definitive reason of death.

Baffert Lawyer: Decision “Runs Contrary” to Facts

In a statement to Casino.org, Baffert attorney W. Craig Robertson said he was “very disappointed” by the decision handed mastered Mon by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s (KHRC) Board of Stewards. Baffert, Medina Spirit owners Zedan Racing, and their attorneys appeared before the stewards at a auditory modality utmost Monday on the matter.

It runs wayward to the scientifically proven facts in this slip and the rules of the Bluegrass State Horse Racing Commission,” Robertson said inward an email. “We will live filing an quick appeal.”

That charm goes straight to the KHRC. Should the state’s regulatory personify for gymnastic horse racing uphold the stewards’ decision, Baffert and Zedan Stables could then file away another appeal inward Benjamin Franklin Circuit Court. That’s the state-level court of justice inwards the tell upper-case letter of Frankfort, where the commission and most nation offices are based.

Getting to the stewards’ auditory modality lastly hebdomad mired a protracted effectual battle o'er the try for Al Madinah Spirit. Under testing guidelines, the sample taken after a race is split. Should the first of all voice of the taste follow back up positive, the sec component is then tested.

A Franklin Circuit Judge lowest yr ruled that Baffert and Zedan would capture 20 milliliters of the endorsement half of the split up sample to be well-tried at a science lab of their choosing.

In December, Oscar Robertson announced that the try out showed the betamethasone found inwards Medina Spirit’s system was from a topical medication and non an injection. He claimed that was paint because province guidelines business deal with injectant protocols.

The stewards’ ruling Mon did not line the difference, only that a Class C do drugs violation was found. As it was Baffert’s quaternary drug violation crosswise jurisdictions inward less than a year, the penalties for him were heightened to a 90-day reprieve and $7,500 fine.

The ruling calls for the hiatus to occupy effectuate on Mar 8 and black market through and through June 5. Suspensions are recognized crossways province lines, meaning Baffert could not get into horses for any rush during his suspension.

Unless he tin let a stay put on the abatement or get it overturned, that would cover up such Bluegrass State Derby prep races as the Louisiana Derby, the Arkansas Derby, the Santa Anita Derby, the Sir Henry Wood Memorial, and the Blue Grass Stakes – although Duke of Marlborough Downs has non been awarding Baffert-trained entries any points inwards prep races already. The respite would also wrap up the Preakness Stakes.

Another Baffert attorney previously said the trainer is considering a federal lawsuit against Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill Downs that would seek to permit him go in horses inwards Derby preps and the Derby itself if they earned enough points.

The position of that, though, is unknown. type A message to Kenneth Clark Brewster was not directly returned on Monday.

Implications from a Historic Decision

Medina Spirit becomes just the endorse gymnastic horse to turn a loss a Derby form of address to a failed dose test. Dancer’s Image missed the 1968 Derby due to a failed do drugs test. In 2019, Maximum Security passed first off under the wire, but stewards ruled proceedings after the rush that he interfered with other horses, causing the colt to follow taken cut down from the board.

The disqualification of Al Madinah Spirit is historical for racing, and the public relations smasher against Baffert, the single to the highest degree control as the superlative trainer inward racing history, is far to a greater extent significant than the mulct and suspension.

Kentucky officials previously fined Baffert $1,000 after his filly Gamine tested positive for the same substance after the 2020 Bluegrass State Oaks, which was extend inwards Sept of that twelvemonth due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2020, Arkansas officials suspended Baffert for 15 days after lidocaine was found inwards Gamine and Charlatan during races held inwards May of that year. In Apr 2021, the Arkansas Racing Commission voted to maintain the dose try out rulings. However, they lifted the reprieve inward lieu of two $5,000 fines. The military commission also allowed the horses’ victories to place upright inward those races.

There had previously been allegations surrounding Justify, Baffert’s Triple Crown winner from 2018, after claims arose nearly 18 months later that the colt well-tried positive degree for hyoscine after winning the Santa Anita Derby – the run that allowed Justify to enter the KY Derby.

Kathy Guillermo, a senior vice chairman for PETA, called on racing officials Monday to slip Justify of his Triple Crown status.

Marty Irby, executive director director of Animal Wellness Action, thanked the KHRC “for taking activity against American gymnastic horse racing’s to the highest degree infamous violator” and said other agencies want to conform to suit.

“Baffert continues to get behind gymnastic horse racing through and through the mud inwards malicious gossip after scandal, and we call in on every racing jurisdiction in the nation to contain him accountable past reciprocating the Bluegrass State Horse Racing Commission’s abatement inwards their own state,” said Irby in a statement. “We’re joyful that Baffert won’t be participating inwards the upcoming 2022 Kentucky Derby and believe the horses testament be improve off, and the event testament hold to a greater extent credibility, without him.”

Irby’s chemical group was pivotal in lobbying for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, a practice of law passed past US Congress inwards late 2020 that seeks to nationalise do drugs and safety standards inwards the sport. The bear on for the law of nature came inward earnest after a rash of gymnastic horse deaths inward 2019 raised concerns around the welfare of fauna athletes.

The law calls for the US Anti-Doping Agency to supervise drug testing inward racing, but negotiations broke cut down 'tween the main(a) office and the table tasked with launch the new national sweat to improve racing’s integrity.

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