Last Damages Lawsuit From Medina Spirit DQ Dismissed
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Photo: Alex Slitz
Medina Spirit (red cap) crosses the line first before later being disqualified in the 2021 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
The final legal case arising out of Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) likely has finished out of the money with the dismissal of a damages lawsuit brought by a group of bettors.
Wagers made by the plaintiffs hinged on a win by Mandaloun , but the bets failed when Medina Spirit held Mandaloun off by a half-length and the race was declared official by stewards. Medina Spirit's postrace testing registered a positive for betamethasone, a medication not allowed on race day in Kentucky, and the horse was eventually disqualified by stewards.
Thirty plaintiffs led by Michael Beychok, the 2012 National Handicapping Championship winner, sued Medina Spirit's trainer, Bob Baffert, in federal court. Over a span of three years, venue of the case was moved from California to New Jersey to Kentucky, where it was finally dismissed Dec. 13 by Judge Claria Horn Boom.
Boom found the plaintiffs' claims are barred by Kentucky’s rules of racing and corresponding case law which state that that all wagers and payouts are final on race day once the race results are declared official. She dismissed various theories of recovery, including claims based on racketeering statutes.
Similar claims made by another group of bettors based in Louisville, Ky., and led by Anthony Mattera were dismissed in the same court. The dismissal was affirmed by the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals May 2. That same appellate court would review Beychok's case if it were appealed.