Report: Derby DQ May Come Down To Legal Phrasing Sponsored by:
As discussion around Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit s positive betamethasone test continues, the attorney for owner Amr Zedan seems to already be preparing a legal challenge for a potential disqualification.
Kentucky regulations spell out penalties for trainers and for owners following a drug positive, depending on the number and class of drug violations for the relevant licensee. The penalties for owners include disqualification and loss of purse, as well as a potential requirement for horses to undergo further examination or testing before returning to racing.
As explained in the Louisville Courier-Journal, there seems to be some debate about what will happen if a split sample comes back positive. Dr. Mary Scollay, former equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and Marc Guilfoil, current executive director for the commission, both point out that there is no “mitigating circ
Medina Spirit trainer Bob Baffert admits to using ointment with steroid after Kentucky Derby horse tests positive
Updated: 12 May 2021, 5:52
MEDINA Spirit’s trainer has admitted to using ointment containing steroids after the Kentucky Derby horse tested positive for steroids.
Bob Baffert, 68, said in a statement on Tuesday the horse had undergone treatment before the big race with an ointment containing the steroid betamethasone.
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Bob Baffert said he had an anti-fungal ointment called Otomax on the advice of his vetCredit: Reuters
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Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby on May 1 but later tested positive for a steroidCredit: Reuters
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Betamethasone is illegal in racing when found in the horse s blood on race dayCredit: Alamy
About That Connection Between SGF-1000 And Dexamethasone Sponsored by:
When news broke last weekend that Medina Spirit had tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone, Paulick Report staff received several questions from readers asking about a phone conversation intercepted by federal agents. Court documents from the federal indictments of March 2020 recalled a conversation between trainer Jason Servis and veterinarian Dr. Kristian Rhein in which they were discussing a substance called SGF-1000, which prosecutors say was one of the misbranded or adulterated drugs at the heart of the case. Rhein told Servis that the substance could sometimes create a false positive for “dex,” widely believed to refer to dexamethasone, and Servis asked Rhein to alter his veterinary records to make it appear as though horses had been treated with dexamethasone in case of a positive test.
Bob Baffert in spotlight for wrong reasons going into Preakness
Saddles for Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness entrant Medina Spirit, left, and Concert Tour are seen on a railing in the stables ahead of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez
Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness entrant Medina Spirit is bathed after a workout ahead of the Preakness Stakes ahead of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez
Exercise rider Humberto Gomez, top left, takes Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness entrant Medina Spirit to the track for a training session ahead of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez