KENTUCKY DERBY winner Medina Spirit could be disqualified and coach Bob Baffert had to repay £ 1.3 million in winnings.
Runner-up Mandaloun could also be promoted to champion if a second drug test confirms the results of the first.
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Baffert denies any wrongdoing but could be forced to repay its winnings if a second test confirms the results of the firstPhoto credit: Getty Images – Getty
The race was shaken by news of the failed drug test by the 12-1 heroine Medina Spirit.
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The 68-year-old Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert announced the shock results last Sunday and emphatically denied any wrongdoing.
Medina Spirit – a rags to riches true story after being bought for just £ 723 – faces wiped from record books after betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid, is found in its system.
Baffert said he had no idea how the drug got into the horse – whom Donald Trump called a “junkie”.
The coach, whose win was a record seventh in the derby on May 1st, said: “I don’t know what’s going on in racing right now, but something is wrong.
“I’m not ashamed, I feel like I was wrong.
“This horse has never been treated with it. He’s a great horse, he doesn’t deserve it.”
However, Churchill Downs, host of the derby, has suspended Baffert with immediate effect, stating that Medina Spirit’s win “will be erased if the results are confirmed”.
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Mandaloun, the horse that finished second, could be promoted to the winnerPhoto credit: Reuters
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A statement said: “Failure to follow rules and medication protocols endangers the safety of horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport, and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and everyone involved. Churchill Downs will not tolerate this.”
“Given the gravity of the alleged crime, Churchill Downs will immediately prevent Bob Baffert, the coach of Medina Spirit, from entering horses on the Churchill Downs circuit.
“To be clear, if the results are confirmed, Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby results will be void and Mandaloun will be declared the winner.
“We’ll wait for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission investigation to complete before taking any further action.”
The Daily Mail reports that Baffert could also be tricked into paying back his winnings, which totaled £ 1.3 million.
In the face of positive drug results, the race has set a precedent for a similar stance.
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The race was shaken by news of Medina Spirit’s positive drug testPhoto credit: Getty
Saudi Cup organizers withheld the £ 14.2 million prize for the Saudi Cup last year after the championship coach was named in a doping probe.
However, players who supported Medina Spirit can keep their winnings.
But those who chose Mandaloun will not be paid out even if the horse, which raked up just under £ 426,000 for second place, is declared the winner.
Baffert, who lifted a ban last month after two of his horses were found with an illegal pain reliever in their systems, vowed to combat the results.
He said, “I’m going to fight it tooth and nail because I owe it to the horse, I owe it to the owner, and I owe it to our industry.
“I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I know that not everyone is out to get me, but there is definitely something wrong. Why is it happening to me?”
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