Churchill Downs Inc. has lifted its ban on trainer Bob Baffert, allowing him to race his horses at their tracks once again. The decision comes after the Horse Racing Hall of Famer issued a statement accepting responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive drug test following the horse’s 2021 Kentucky Derby victory.

“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,” said Baffert in the statement.
“I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce rules 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 move past this chapter and “get back to doing what we love without any more distraction or negativity.”
Thus ends the saga that began after Medina Spirit’s unexpected victory at the Derby. This episode saw lawsuits and tarnished the reputation of one of horse racing’s greatest trainers.

Post-race testing revealed the three-year-old colt had 21 picograms per milliliter of the anti-inflammatory steroid betamethasone in his system. Medina Spirit was disqualified, and the $1.8 million winner’s prize was awarded to the second-place finisher, Mandaloun.
Baffert denied intentional doping, claiming that betamethasone, banned in Kentucky and other states, entered Medina Spirit’s system through a topical ointment used to treat a rash.
In Kentucky, betamethasone is classified as a Class C drug permitted for therapeutic use in horses but requires a 14-day withdrawal period.
Despite suing Churchill Downs in 2022 to lift the ban, Baffert was initially unsuccessful. At the time, Churchill Downs accused Baffert of “peddling a false narrative” about the failed drug test.
“Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs acknowledging his responsibility to understand and abide by Kentucky’s racing rules,” the company said. “The test results clearly show non-compliance, and his ongoing conduct revealed continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity of the races conducted at our facilities.”
The controversy further deepened when Medina Spirit collapsed and died of a heart attack during a workout at Santa Anita Park, six months post-Derby. Veterinary officials found no evidence of doping, but a definitive cause of death couldn’t be established.