Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit Fails Drug Test

 The Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, has failed a post-race drug check and his well-known coach Bob Baffert has been suspended. 

In line with reports, the race organizers, Churchill Downs, are at the moment within the means of testing a second pattern taken from Medina Spirit. If the extra check comes again soiled, then the Kentucky Derby will strip the title and the prize cash.

If the horse is disqualified it should solely be the third horse within the 147-year historical past of the race. 

Medina Spirit can’t be disqualified till the second check comes again. His coach Baffert will be capable to attraction the choice. Churchhill Downs confirmed if Medina’s second check is soiled they’d title the runner-up, Mandaloun, the official winner. 

Churchhill Downs, who runs the occasion, stated, “Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will instantly droop Bob Baffert, the coach of Medina Spirit, from coming into any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack.”

In a information convention, Baffert stated his workforce by no means administered the drug betamethasone into the successful horse. He denied that Medina had been handled with the corticosteroid injection.

He stated, “I used to be completely shocked after I heard this information. I’m nonetheless attempting to soak up it. I’m essentially the most scrutinized coach. And I’m OK with that. The very last thing I wish to do is one thing that will jeopardize the best sport.”

“I’m anxious concerning the sport. This can be a fairly severe accusation. We’re going to unravel it. We didn’t do it,’ he added. 

“There’s issues in racing. Nevertheless it’s not Bob Baffert,” he ended. 

Medina’s dirty test comes after officers accused declare to have discovered a banned substance in two of his different horses. He was solely penalized with a tremendous and prevented being suspended over the assessments. 

Medina examined constructive for a similar banned drug that was present in Baffert’s different horse named Gamine. That horse had her $120,000 purse stripped alongside along with her third-place end. Baffert was hit with a $1,500 tremendous.   

If Medina Spirit is formally disqualified, the bettors who positioned bets on her successful would hold their cash. Nevertheless, the $1.8 million received for the title could be taken again and given to the second-place finisher.