The colt diedin early December after a workout at Santa Anita. Kentucky racing officials have said it doesn’t matter how the anti-inflammatory was administered, only that it was present on race day, which isn’t allowed. Attorneys for Baffert and Medina Spirit’s owner, Amr Zedan, said urine testing conducted by a New York lab confirmed the colt was positive for the anti-inflammatory not via an injection but because of the ointment used.
The trainer said the positive test could be explained by an ointment used to treat a skin rash on Medina Spirit.He said a veterinarian recommended an antifungal cream that was applied daily. WHAT DOES BAFFERT SAY ABOUT MEDINA SPIRIT’S FAILED TEST? This year will be just the sixth time he hasn’t had a horse in the race. Besides his six wins, he’s had three seconds and three thirds. The 69-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is suing Churchill Downs Inc.in federal court to end his suspension.īaffert has saddled 34 horses in the Derby - third-most in history - since his first appearance in 1996. That means he will miss the entire Triple Crown series: the Derby, Preakness on May 21 and Belmont Stakes on June 11.īaffert failed in multiple attempts in Kentucky to overturn the track’s ban or the start of his suspension, which began April 4. It’s considered a Class C drug, with a lesser potential to influence performance, but any level of detection on race day is a violation.Īt the same time, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission suspended Baffert for 90 days because of medication violations involving the trainer’s horses, including Medina Spirit. It’s allowed in Kentucky but must clear a horse’s system at least 14 days before a race.
Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory medication. The punishment resulted from his 2021 Derby winner Medina Spirit failing a post-race drug testand later being disqualified from that victory in a ruling handed down this year. barred Baffert from entering horses at any of its tracks for this year and through mid-2023. In all, Baffert has won a record-tying six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preaknesses and three Belmonts.īut he won’t be at Churchill Downs on Saturday for the 148th Derby and it’s not because he doesn’t have any contenders.Ĭhurchill Downs Inc.