Lawsuit Refiled by Bettors After Derby Ruling

A group of bettors filed a class-action lawsuit Feb. 21 seeking damages against trainer Bob Baffert and Churchill Downs Inc. after Kentucky stewards on Monday disqualified the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit  from the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.

The Monday ruling by stewards, which elevated Juddmonte's Mandaloun  to first and disqualified Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit for testing positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone, did not result in amended payoffs. That is standard for medication violations, unlike immediate infractions observed by stewards such as race interference.

The stewards' ruling is expected to be appealed.

Monday's lawsuit, previously filed and withdrawn, was refiled with the announcement of the ruling, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. It seeks to compensate the plaintiffs for "harms suffered, losses incurred, and damage caused" and seeks judgment in an amount representing the payout of the winning payoffs based on the new top-five finish.

In the complaint filed by attorney William Nefzger in Jefferson Circuit Court on behalf of 19 bettors, led by Anthony Mattera, Churchill Downs is accused of failing to offer adequate testing. The suit claims pre-race testing could have potentially discovered Medina Spirit's positive test and led to a scratch.

In other legal action this week, the stewards' ruling was submitted in court documents in a similar, ongoing lawsuit against Baffert in New Jersey involving disgruntled Derby gamblers.