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Medina Spirit’s 2021 Kentucky Derby Title Stripped Following Drug Test Investigation

After almost an entire year, it is official. The Bob Baffert horse, Medina Spirit, has been stripped of the 2021 Kentucky Derby title following an investigation.

The horse tested positive for a banned substance following a Derby win last year. This comes, unfortunately, after the horse died from a heart attack in December of 2021. There was no suspected foul play. Now that Medina Spirit has been stripped of the title, there have been additional punishments added as well. These will affect Baffert as well as the owners of the horse.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission released a statement regarding the decision. Betamethasone was found in the horse’s blood. While the chemical is found in anti-fungal medicines, it is a banned substance in horse racing. The report also says that this was the fourth medication violation within a year. One of the biggest pieces of news has to do with Baffert’s suspension from the sport.

Baffert will face a 90-day suspension. It will be active on March 8 and will end on June 5 of this year. The trainer is currently under a two-year ban from Churchill Downs itself. He will also pay a fine of $7500, but for Baffert that doesn’t seem like more than pocket change.

Baffert’s attorney said in a statement, “Public statements by [Kentucky Horse Racing Commission] officials over the last several months have made perfectly clear that Bob Baffert’s fate was decided before we ever sat down for a hearing.”

“Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Baffert is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards,” the report says. It sounds like folks need to get their horses switched over if they are trained by Baffert. That is if they want to compete in the state of Kentucky.

Medina Spirit DQ’d After Death

This is such a wild story. From the beginning, this one made headlines and had a lot of folks questioning exactly what was happening. The story went from tainted hay from horse pee to a rash that the horse had, and more. Clearly, it was enough to get betamethasone in Medina Spirit’s blood. Baffert has looked guilty throughout due to these changing stories as well.

When Churchill Downs banned the famed horse trainer for two years, it was a big deal. This new punishment might be an even bigger deal if it had come prior to the ruling from the racing venue. Kentucky does not take these things lightly and the Horse Racing Commission gave the maximum penalty for the offense.

After Medina Spirit suffered a heart attack and died at Santa Anita in December, more questions popped up. The horse had been separated from Baffert for a while. However, folks will always be skeptical. The medical director at the track determined that there wasn’t anything. “untoward” about the death.