Who Is Medina Spirit?
Medina Spirit was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who ran from April 5, 2018, to December 6, 2021, and finished first in the Kentucky Derby before being disqualified. In 2021, he finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and third in the Preakness Stakes.
Was Medina Spirit Disqualified?
Medina was indeed disqualified. The issue of Medina’s violation and disqualification before his death indeed was an issue of attention. But the question is what happened? Following a positive test for the anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone, Medina was thought to be disqualified.
The anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone was detected at 21pg/mL during one of the post-race tests on Medina Spirit. Betamethasone is classed as a Class C drug in Kentucky, which means it can be used therapeutically in horses but must be withheld for 14 days.
Any drug concentration identified in post-race testing is a breach, and disqualification could ensue. Baffert said Medina Spirit was never given betamethasone during a press conference on May 9, 2021. Baffert also demanded an independent DNA and follicle test in addition to a split drug sample.
He assured reporters he was going to combat the problem. “…tooth and nail because I owe it to the horse, I owe it to the owner, and I owe it to our industry.”
