Medina Spirit Tests Positive for Betamethasone

Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Medina Spirit  has tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone and faces possible disqualification from the May 1 race at Churchill Downs, it was announced May 9.

Meanwhile, trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended by Churchill from entering any horses at the Louisville track, pending the conclusion of an investigation by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

Baffert traveled from California to watch Medina Spirit and Concert Tour  train for the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1), and broke the news in a press conference held at Churchill Sunday morning accompanied by his attorney, W. Craig Robertson III.

Baffert said Medina Spirit tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone per milliliter of blood or plasma—information that was relayed to him Friday by his assistant, Jimmy Barnes, who was served by the KHRC. 

Baffert said Medina Spirit was not administered the medication in question.

"All I can tell you is that betamethasone—even though it is an allowed drug, a therapeutic medication, we did not give it. … In fact, Medina Spirit has never been treated with betamethasone," Baffert said Sunday. "We're going to do our own investigation, we're going to be transparent with the racing commission like we've always been. We're going to show them everything. … In California, everything is documented every day, what the horses get. This horse was never treated with that.

"I know I'm the most scrutinized trainer and I have millions of eyes on me, but you know what? I don't have a problem with that," Baffert added. "The last thing I want to do is do something that would jeopardize the greatest two minutes in sports."

Betamethasone is a Class C drug that is allowed in Kentucky as a therapeutic. However, state rules require at least a 14-day withdrawal time and any level of detection on race day is a violation. The threshold was changed to zero from 10 picograms per milliliter of blood or plasma in August.

The KHRC confirmed the news early Sunday afternoon with the following statement: "Kentucky Horse Racing Commission officials are investigating the (betamethasone) medication test finding related to horse 'Medina Spirit' and trainer Bob Baffert. The test was conducted Derby Day, May 1. Test results were obtained May 7. 

"During the investigation, both the trainer and owner of the horse will be afforded due process, and opportunity to appeal. Therefore, the KHRC will not provide further comment at this time."

"It is our understanding that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit's post-race blood sample indicated a violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky's equine medication protocols," Churchill Downs said in a statement issued late Sunday morning. "The connections of Medina Spirit have the right to request a test of a split sample and we understand they intend to do so. To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit's results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun  will be declared the winner.  

"Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport, and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate. Churchill Downs will not tolerate it. Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack. We will await the conclusion of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's investigation before taking further steps."

Churchill Downs clarified Sunday afternoon with BloodHorse that horses trained by Baffert would not be permitted to run under an assistant's name, a practice often employed by trainers while serving suspensions or undergoing the appeals process.

Churchill Downs is a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which was created "to ensure the well-being of horses and jockeys, enforce accountability, and promote a culture of safety in our sport." The Stronach Group, which owns The Maryland Jockey Club and Pimlico Race Course where the Preakness is held, is another founding member of the organization. The Stronach Group also owns Baffert's home base, Santa Anita Park.

In response to the positive, The Stronach Group pushed the taking of entries and the post position draw for the Preakness Stakes from May 10 to May 11, and moved the taking of entries and draw for its May 14 Black-Eyed Susan Day from May 9 to May 10.

A statement sent Sunday afternoon by The Stronach Group and its consumer-facing brand 1/ST Racing read in part, "1/ST Racing and MJC intend to review the relevant facts and information relating to the reported medication positive as a result of the post-race blood sample testing completed by Churchill Downs following the 147th Kentucky Derby involving Medina Spirit trained by Bob Baffert. We are consulting with the Maryland Racing Commission and any decision regarding the entry of Medina Spirit in the 146th Preakness Stakes will be made after review of the facts."

Baffert said Sunday morning that Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit, who open galloped Sunday morning, remains on track for a start in that race, the second jewel in the Triple Crown. Both of Baffert's Preakness contenders are scheduled to van May 10 to Pimlico from Churchill Downs, the same day entries are set to be taken for the Preakness Day card. Concert Tour owner Gary West on Sunday said he intends to enter and run his horse in the Preakness. Concert Tour breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 Sunday.

"Concert Tour worked well this morning and will run in the Preakness," he said via email. West declined further comment on the situation with Medina Spirit.

A split sample test will be requested by Baffert, who said he also independently arranged for DNA testing and hair follicle testing of Medina Spirit to confirm the positive test was not from a different horse and to determine whether betamethasone was indeed in Medina Spirit's system. Split sample results generally take three to four weeks to be delivered.

Baffert said he would also request a review of the out of competition test sample collected from Medina Spirit April 18. 

"We had to jump through a lot of loops to get to the Derby," Baffert said. "They do out of competition (testing), he had that done on the 18th. That sample, we're going to have them look at that again. There's just a lot of things we're going to be doing."

The KHRC did not provide detail beyond its released statement.

"I'm going to fight it tooth and nail because I owe it to the horse, I owe it to the owner, and I owe it to our industry," said Baffert, who collected a record seventh Kentucky Derby win with Medina Spirit. "Yesterday I got the biggest gut punch in racing for something that I didn't do. It's disturbing. It's an injustice to the horse. … I don't know what's going on in racing right now, but there's something not right. I don't feel embarrassed, I feel like I was wronged.

"(Medina Spirit is) a great horse. He doesn't deserve this. He ran a gallant race."

Medina Spirit came into the Kentucky Derby off a runner-up finish in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1), and was sent off at 12-1 odds beneath the Twin Spires. He led the field under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, and held off Juddmonte's Mandaloun  by half a length to win his first grade 1. Earlier in his career, he took the Jan. 30 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

Before the news of Medina Spirit's positive, Brad Cox, the trainer of Mandaloun, announced that while the winner of the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) had emerged from the Derby in good order, he would not contest the Preakness Stakes. Cox cited, among other considerations, the short turnaround for a horse not pursuing the Triple Crown.

Calls by BloodHorse to Cox seeking to determine whether their racing plans may have changed with the initial news of Medina Spirit's post-race test result were not immediately returned. In terms of the finding, which could result in Mandaloun being declared the Derby winner, Juddmonte manager Garrett O'Rourke said in a text that they will "trust the process," and offered no further comment.

Baffert's multiple grade 1 winner Gamine  also tested positive for betamethasone in Kentucky last year, following her third-place finish in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). An attorney for Baffert said the filly received betamethasone 18 days before the Oaks. She was disqualified and placed last, and Baffert was levied a $1,500 fine.

"Gamine was a different story because we did everything, we followed the rules and went (an) extra four days and still were in trouble," Baffert said in comparing the current case to that one. "But we did treat her. (Medina Spirit) was not treated with this, and that's the scary part."

In cases Baffert believes were caused by contamination, Charlatan  and Gamine both tested positive for lidocaine after running May 2, 2020 at Oaklawn Park. Charlatan won a division of the Arkansas Derby while Gamine won an allowance-level race. Initially, Baffert was suspended for 15 days and both horses were disqualified, but the Arkansas Racing Commission rescinded that decision, upholding the rulings but modifying the penalties. Baffert was given a pair of $5,000 fines for each infraction.

At Del Mar, Merneith  tested positive for dextrorphan after she ran second in an allowance-level event July 25. Baffert was fined $2,500. 

In November, Baffert announced plans to increase scrutiny and security measures around his barns. 

"Given what has transpired this year, I intend to do everything possible to ensure I receive no further medication complaints," he said in the release.

At that time, Baffert announced the retention of Dr. Michael Hore of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute "to add an additional layer of protection to ensure the well-being of horses in my care and rule compliance."

At the time he also said, "I am increasing the training and awareness of all my employees when it comes to proper protocols. I am personally increasing my oversight and commitment to running a tight ship and being careful that protective measures are in place." 

Horsemen's groups have raised concerns about the low level of testing for substances and the heightened concerns about environmental contamination when testing to those precise levels. State regulators have, at times, recognized such issues by modifying sanctions or completely tossing post-race test findings. Baffert has had first-hand experience in these cases.

"Our industry needs to step up, and we need to do a better job in racing. There's something wrong right now. I've been talking about it, nothing seems to be done about it, these contamination levels," Baffert said Sunday. "I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I know everybody's not out to get me, but there's definitely something wrong. Why is it happening to me? There's problems in racing, but it's not Bob Baffert."

The Jockey Club issued a statement Sunday afternoon stating its confidence in future regulation to come through the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which will remove oversight of medication and testing issues from the states to an authority under the Federal Trade Commission. Plans call for that authority—its board members were named last week—to oversee the sport in these areas by the summer of 2022.

"Along with everyone in the sport, we were troubled by the report today by trainer Bob Baffert of a notice that Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone in the Kentucky Derby," The Jockey Club stated. "We sincerely hope justice is swift, sure, fair, and uniform.

"Bettors and fans need to have unshakable confidence in the integrity of the sport. The passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act undeniably will give our sport a far better level of regulation. It is unfortunate that there are still some people in our sport who oppose HISA. We can only conclude that they don't want better regulation."

In his Arkansas appeal, Baffert and his attorney, Robertson, successfully raised concerns that the positives may have been caused by environmental contamination, either from a pain patch worn by Barnes or from another source. In their presentation, they documented that another horse who competed in the same division of the Arkansas Derby won by Charlatan also had lidocaine in his system, although it was at a level below the threshold.

In 2018 the California Horse Racing Board did not move forward on post-race positives for scopolamine in Baffert-trained Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Justify   and Tokyo City Cup Stakes (G3) winner Hoppertunity   following a recommendation from its equine medical director, Dr. Rick Arthur, and executive director, Rick Baedeker, based on their determination that the lab finding resulted from environmental contamination linked to jimson weed in Justify's feed. 

In December, California stewards reconsidered the evidence but opted to dismiss complaints against both horses.

Horsemen's groups also have questioned the science behind developing the thresholds and withdrawal times—including the process in developing the betamethasone standard. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium—the industry group that has helped shape medication standards—has vigorously defended the process.

In 2014 Princess of Sylmar  tested positive for an overage of betamethasone after finishing second in the Delaware Handicap (G1). Attorney Karen Murphy, representing Princess of Sylmar's trainer Todd Pletcher, successfully raised questions about the process behind developing the thresholds for betamethasone as the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission did not move forward with the case based on the advice of a deputy attorney general.

As for failed post-race tests in the Derby, in 147 editions the only prior Kentucky Derby winner to test positive after the race was Dancer's Image, who in 1968 tested positive for the painkiller phenylbutazone. He was ultimately disqualified, and is the only winner, to date, to be stripped of his title for a failed drug test.

In 2019 Maximum Security   was taken down for interference in the Kentucky Derby, making Country House   the elevated winner.

Betting on the 2021 Kentucky Derby was $155.4 million. Changes are not made to pari-mutuel payoffs as a result of post-race disqualifications, a practice criticized by some gamblers. Last year, a harness-racing bettor received a $20,000 settlement after he filed suit against the trainer and owner of a disqualified horse, claiming he was robbed of winnings after their horse tested positive for erythropoietin, a prohibited substance. 

"I'm worried about our sport," Baffert said. "We've taken a lot of hits for the sport. (These are) pretty serious accusations … But we're going to get to the bottom of it. We know we didn't do it, and that's the thing. We didn't have anything to do with it. I don't know how it got in his system, if it's in his system, if there was a mistake, or something. But we're going to get to the bottom of it." 

Baffert issued a statement Sunday afternoon through Robertson reiterating the points he made during his morning press conference and clarifying the classification of betamethasone.

"Yesterday I was informed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that Medina Spirit allegedly tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone. I want to be clear on three points," the statement read. "First, I have seen it reported that betamethasone is a 'banned' substance. This is not true. Betamethasone is an allowable, therapeutic medication. Second, and more importantly, at no point in time has anyone in my barn or any of my veterinarians ever administered betamethasone to Medina Spirit. I do not know how betamethasone could have possibly gotten into Medina Spirit, but I do know it did not come from me. Therefore, I intend to thoroughly and transparently investigate the matter to determine how this could have happened. We will have the split sample analyzed and DNA testing performed. That will be the first step in the process.

"Lastly, as I have stated in the past: there is a broader issue in horse racing concerning the regulation of allowable medications at 21 picograms—which is a trillionth of a gram—that the industry must address.

"I would ask that everyone reserve judgment until all facts and circumstances are thoroughly investigated and discovered."

Owner Amr Zedan did not respond to requests from BloodHorse seeking comment.