Kentucky Derby Winner Being Reexamined After Failing A Postrace Drug Test

The winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby ‘Medina Spirit’ is being re-examined after failing a postrace drug test. According to his trainer Bob Baffert, the horse showed elevated levels of betamethasone in its system, the drug is sometimes used for joint pain in horses. Baffert said his team would conduct it’s own investigation. He said “Yesterday I got the biggest gut punch in racing for something that I didn’t do. I don’t feel embarrassed, I feel like I was wronged. But I’m going to fight it.”

Betamethasone is allowed in horse racing to a certain level but Baffert was informed that Medina Spirit’s postrace test detected 21 picograms per milliliter which is more than double the legal threshold in Kentucky racing. Yesterday, Churchill Downs announced it would immediately suspend Baffert and bar him from entering horse races at the track. As of yesterday, Medina Spirit had not been disqualified. A split sample will be tested and if the original results are confirmed there is a chance for appeal.