Medina Spirit has been stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby title following a constructive drug take a look at, the Kentucky Horse Racing Fee introduced Monday. The official winner is now the second-place horse, Mandaloun.
The information comes greater than two months after Medina Spirit collapsed and died following a exercise at Santa Anita. His coach Bob Baffert stated the colt suffered a coronary heart assault on December 6 however a necropsy launched this month confirmed no definitive explanation for loss of life.
Along with Monday's ruling on the winner, Baffert was additionally suspended for 90 days and was issued a $7,500 nice.
That suspension means he's "denied the privileges of all services underneath the jurisdiction of the Kentucky Horse Racing Fee. Entry of all horses owned or skilled by Mr. Baffert is denied pending switch to individuals acceptable to the stewards."
That marks the second time in three years that the primary horse to cross the Kentucky Derby end line is just not the winner. In 2019, Most Safety was disqualified for impeding the trail of two horses within the remaining flip earlier than crossing the road first.
Baffert is allowed to attraction the choice.
Medina Spirit's Kentucky Derby victory final Might got here underneath scrutiny after he examined constructive for betamethasone, a authorized medicine that isn't allowed on race day in Kentucky.
Because of this, Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs and barred from getting into horses within the 2022 and 2023 Kentucky Derbies. He additionally was banned by the New York Racing Affiliation from getting into horses at its Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct tracks.
The Related Press contributed to this report.