Churchill Downs Inc. has lifted its ban on trainer Bob Baffert from racing his horses at their tracks. That’s after the Horse Racing Hall of Famer issued a statement accepting responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive drug test after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
“I am responsible for any substance found in the horses that I train, and I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification of Medina Spirit’s performance,” Baffert said in the statement.
“I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce the rules that they believed were necessary to protect the safety and integrity of horse racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby.”
Baffert added that he and his family wanted to put the chapter behind them and “get back doing what we love to do without anymore [sic] distraction or negativity.”
So ends the saga that began soon after Medina Spirit’s unlikely victory at the Derby. It was an episode that saw lawsuits fly and tarnished the name of one of racing’s greatest trainers.
Post-race testing showed the three-year-old colt had 21pg/ml of the anti-inflammatory steroid betamethasone in his system. The horse was disqualified, and the 1.8 million winner’s prize went to the second-place finisher, Mandaloun.
Baffert denied doping. He claimed Medina Spirit was being treated with a topical ointment for a rash that caused betamethasone, which is banned in Kentucky and other states, to show up in the test.
In Kentucky, the substance is classified as a Class C drug permitted for therapeutic use in horses but requires a 14-day withdrawal time.
Baffert sued Churchill Downs in 2022 to try to have the ban lifted but was unsuccessful. In a statement at the time, the racetrack giant accused Baffert of “peddling a false narrative” about the failed drug test.
“Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs which stated that he was responsible for understanding the rules of racing in Kentucky and that he would abide by them,” the company said at the time. “The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and his ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities.”
Six months after the Derby, the controversy deepened when Medina Spirit collapsed and died of a heart attack during a workout at Santa Anita Park. Veterinary officials who examined his body found no evidence of doping, but a definitive cause of death couldn’t be established.
