Medina Spirit stripped of Derby win; trainer suspended

Pat McDonogh / Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Medina Spirit stripped of Kentucky Derby win; trainer suspended

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 2/21/22

Last year's Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has been disqualified from the victory and trainer Bob Baffert has been suspended for 90 days and handed a $7,500 fine and all purse money from the win must be forfeited. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission made the announcement on Monday.

The ruling comes almost a year since the colt won the famed race but tested positive for banned substance betamethasone.

Bob Baffert suspended 90 days, fined $7,500, Medina Spirit DQed from Kentucky Derby victory. pic.twitter.com/IYquUCWeBN
— Ray Paulick (@raypaulick) February 21, 2022

Four of Baffert's other horses also tested positive for betamethasone prior to the Derby. Churchill Downs suspended Baffert indefinitely while the Kentucky Racing Commission investigated the drug tests.

Medina Spirit died in December while training on a track down in Santa Ana, California. A definitive cause of death has not been revealed.

Churchill Downs also announced Monday that second-place Mandaloun will be recognized as the winner of the 147 Derby in 2021.

"Today Churchill Downs recognizes Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby and extends our congratulations to owner/breeder Juddmonte, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux. Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting achievements in sports and we look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction," the track said in a statement, via ESPN.

More must-reads: