Whelp, it’s officially official.
Medina Spirit rocked the horse racing world when he tested positive for the banned substance betamethasone on Kentucky Derby race day last year.
Now, after a long investigation, Medina Spirit and his crew have been stripped of their 2021 Kentucky Derby title after a court hearing last week.
The runner-up horse, Mandaloun, has now been crowned champ going forward.
Of course, a lot of this falls on the shoulders of Medina Spirit’s trainer Bob Baffert, who has been suspended 90 days from all Kentucky racing facilities and fined $7,500 because of the findings, according to TMZ.
Baffert will now have to win another Derby title to become the winningest trainer in the race’s history, with Medina Spirit winning seven total for the man. However, he might not be around for the win since he was banned from Churchill Downs for the next two years.
He’s also under a lot of fire after Medina Spirit tragically died suddenly on a track in Southern California back in December, and many have called for Baffert to be fired all together.
It’s still unclear if betamethasone played a role in the horse’s death, but Medina Spirit is just the second horse in the 146-year history of the race to be disqualified for doping. Baffert has denied any wrongdoing.
Congrats to Mandaloun though… that $1.8 million winner’s purse sure feels nice.
