Medina Spirit, the late champion horse of the 2021 Kentucky Derby, was stripped of his title Monday after steroids were found in the horse’s blood.
The horse’s win has been disqualified, and Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, was issued a 90-day suspension after the steroid betamethasone was uncovered in Medina Spirit’s blood, according to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
The $1.8 million purse won by Medina Spirit and official first-place win were both transferred to Mandaloun, the horse that placed second.
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“Today Churchill Downs recognizes Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby and extends our congratulations to owner/breeder Juddmonte, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux,” Churchill Downs wrote in a statement.
“Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting achievements in sports and we look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction.”
Baffert, who held seven Kentucky Derby wins, is once again tied for the most wins by a single trainer, holding six, according to a report.
The test was taken by Medina Spirit roughly one week after the horse placed first, and it found traces of betamethasone, a steroid used to treat pain and inflammation.
The steroid got into the horse’s system via the antifungal ointment Otomax, which was given to Medina Spirit to treat dermatitis, Baffert said.
Baffert’s attorneys posited that the ban only applied to betamethasone that was injected, according to the report.
However, an investigation into the incident saw the late horse stripped of his win.
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Medina Spirit died at the age of 3 following a collapse during a December workout.
