Medina Spirit stripped of Derby win – WQKT Sports Country Radio

Medina Spirit was stripped of the victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby and Mandaloun was declared the winner after a ruling by state racing stewards on Monday.

The since-deceased Medina Spirit tested positive after the race last May for a steroid, betamethasone, that is legal in Kentucky but banned on race day.

Medina Spirit finished half a length ahead of Mandaloun in the race, giving trainer Bob Baffert what was then his seventh Kentucky Derby title. Baffert was subsequently banned for two years by Churchill Downs following the positive test.

Monday’s decision by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission makes Medina Spirit the second horse in the 146-year history of the race to be disqualified for a banned substance; the first was Dancer’s Image in 1968, a decision that gave Forward Pass the victory. The only other disqualification was in 2019, when Maximum Security was penalized because of interference, giving Country House the win.

Following the announcement by the racing stewards, Churchill Downs issued a statement declaring Mandaloun the Kentucky Derby winner and congratulating owner and breeder Juddmonte Farms, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux. Cox becomes the first Louisville native to win the most famous race in the sport, and Mandaloun’s owners will receive the $1.8 million winner’s purse.

“We look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction,” the statement said.

Bettors who backed Mandaloun to win in the pari-mutuel pool will not be refunded or paid, despite the disqualification of Medina Spirit.

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission regulations state that: “Payments of valid pari-mutuel tickets shall be made on the basis of the order of finish as declared ‘official’ by the stewards or judges. A subsequent change in the order of finish or award of purse money that may result from a subsequent ruling by the stewards, judges, or commission shall not affect the pari-mutuel payout.”

Approximately $155.4 million was bet on the Kentucky Derby pari-mutuel pool. An estimated $11 million to $12 million was bet on Medina Spirit, based on his odds to win (12-1). An estimated $3 million to $4 million was staked on Mandaloun, who went off at 26-1.

Churchill Downs plans to replace Medina Spirit with Mandaloun on the paddock sign honoring the Derby winner on Tuesday. Mandaloun is set to run in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. The winner receives $10 million.

The racing commission also suspended Baffert for 90 days and fined him $7,500 on Monday. The decision followed a Feb. 14 hearing that was closed to the public and media.

Clark Brewster, an attorney for Baffert, said he would appeal the ruling.