Medina Spirit (KY Derby winner) Tests Positive for Steroids

The Bob Buffett trained Medina Spirit has tested positive for Betamethasone in his post-Derby sample.

it’s Baffert’s 29th positive sample but naturally he claims innocence and that everyone is just out to get him.

https://www.racingpost.com/news/int...-positive-for-banned-raceday-substance/488912

 

I watched the press conference from his barn live on Twitter. He’s not the sharpest tool in the box, referred to himself as “I’m no conspiracy therapist” and more or less implied the authorities are trying to stitch him up because they’re always testing his horses

 

Has he never been banned? Sounds like a hell of a lot of positive samples

 

He gets fined pitiful amounts, promises to do better and then goes and does it again.

From the article:

“Only last month, Baffert was successful in overturning a 15-day ban and disqualification of two of his horses – Gamine and Charlatan – after they had returned samples containing the illicit raceday medication lidocaine, which was attributed to cross-contamination from a pain-relief patch worn by the trainer’s assistant. Baffert received a $10,000 fine instead.

Alongside those failed tests, Baffert had faced high-profile hearings into post-race positives for Justify after he won the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, stablemate Hoppertunity, and following Gamine’s third in last year’s Kentucky Oaks.

The cases against Justify and Hoppertunity were dismissed by the California Horse Racing Board, while Baffert was fined $1,500 and Gamine disqualified from the Kentucky Oaks after the trainer waived his right to a hearing in front of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.”

 

Someone on Twitter posted this list of his “infractions” dating back to 2005

 

Excellent take on this story -

 

Medina Spirit was way down the pecking order of Bafferts 3yos but a few missed the race leaving him as the best chance. He was easily beaten by Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby, Authentic was also well beaten in that last year before becoming a front running machine on derby day. US racing is riddled with doping and only conclusion is that high level officials are involved, Servis and Navarro were an open secret for years before the big investigation last year, same with Baffert and Brad Cox now. Banning the trainers wont change anything, the juice will move. Everyone on the gravy train acts like its not going on, even with the most obvious cases like Knicks Go for Brad Cox.

According to Bolger its going on in ireland as well.

 

According to Twitter reports, 250kg of illegal steroids were seized in Ireland recently. Nothing about it in the racing media.

 

My favourite Bond film growing up - all because of the horses!

 

Let's face it, this is a sport where massive amounts of money is being moved around by faceless accounts, so we can't be surprised that drug use and race fixing occurs. In the US they've had a long history with Baffert as pNkt has stated, and it seems that he can swerve away from being warned off!

In regards Ireland and drugs, its hard to suggest that there is this much smoke around without a fire being burnt under it. I would guess its the same in all jurisdictions to some level.

 

Seized where? Context is fairly important here. Seized from Tony Montana, the local drug kingpin, who supplies the drug to gypsies for sulky racing, or seized from a leading thoroughbred racing yard?

 

Second sample has returned a positive result
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit's second sample returns positive | Horse Racing News | Racing Post

 

The runner up was on juice as well, Cox and Baffert birds of a feather. The bs substance they are talking about here isnt the real issue.

 

The reason it’s taken so long to get the second sample tested is because Baffert’s lawyers were in court trying to stop it from happening.

 

Churchill Downs have banned Baffert from having any runners for 2 years. No doubt it will be challenged in court and dragged out for months on end.