Bob Baffert: Medina Spirit treated with ointment containing steroid

Trainer Bob Baffert said that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit's failed postrace drug test may have been caused by an antifungal ointment containing the steroid betamethasone that the horse was treated with.

According to a statement issued by Baffert's lawyer, leading up the race on May 1, Medina Spirit was treated with a dose of the ointment once a day. According to equine pharmacology experts, this could have resulted in the positive test.

"Yesterday, I was informed that one of the substances in [the ointment] Otomax is betamethasone. While we do not know definitively that this was the source of the alleged 21 picograms found in Medina Spirit's post-race blood sample, and our investigation is continuing, I have been told by equine pharmacology experts that this could explain the test results," Baffert said in the statement.

Baffert said that he will "continue to fight" for Medina Spirit, calling the horse a "deserved champion" while denying any wrongdoing. Betamethasone is legal under Kentucky racing rules, but it has to be cleared two weeks before a horse races. Baffert previously denied that Medina Spirit used betamethasone. 

According to Baffert's lawyer, Medina Spirit is still expected to race in the Preakness on Saturday, with officials reviewing whether or not to allow the horse to race.