In a steward’s ruling on Monday, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has been disqualified from the race and Hall Of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for ninety days and fined $7 500. It was also ordered that the prize-money be redistributed and that the placings be adjusted with Mandaloun now being elevated into the winning position.
In a drawn-out process which took over nine months, the focus of the legal argument centred on Baffert’s attorneys trying to make the case that the detectable traces of betamethasone, a prohibited substance, which was found in Median Spirit’s system in post-race testing, had not been injected into the horse but had been absorbed through the application of an ointment, a differentiation which they felt exonerated Baffert of any wrong doing.
They also claimed that the very limited amount of betamethasone detected could not have made any difference to Medina Spirit’s performance.
After all of the legal arguments, countless laboratory tests and frustrating delays, it all finally came down to the fact that rules are rules and that the Kentucky Racing Regulations allow no detectable betamethasone in a horse’s system on race day, however it got there. It simply defines a positive test as the presence of a restricted or prohibited drug in a sample.
Hence the finding against Baffert and Medina Spirit.
But it’s not over yet, as indicated by Baffert’s legal representative.
“We are disappointed by the Commission’s ruling, but not surprised,” said Baffert’s attorney, Clark Brewster.
“This ruling represents an egregious departure from both the facts and the law, but the numerous public statements by KHRC 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 before the three stewards.
“We will appeal, and we will prevail when the facts and rules are presented to detached, neutral decisionmakers.”
Baffert’s suspension is scheduled to start on March 8 and end on June 5. That timeframe includes the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Baffert has ten days in which to request a review of the stewards’ ruling or to apply for a stay of proceedings.
He also has the option of taking his case to the Franklin Circuit Court, which could again delay any absolute, final resolution to the race outcome for many more months, as in the case of the 1968 drug disqualification, when Dancer’s Image was disqualified giving Forward Pass the race.
On that occasion the conclusion only came five years later when Dancer’s Image’s owner abandoned his court fight in 1973.
