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2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit returns positive drug test.

Colonels_Wear_Blue
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Colonels_Wear_Blue

Colonels_Wear_Blue

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A post-race blood sample from the Kentucky Derby tested positive for 21 picograms of the steroid betamethasone. Betamethasone is legal for use as a therapeutic drug in horses, but as a steroid, its use is legally limited when competing in racing. 21 picograms (21 one-trillionths of a gram) is more than double the legal limit in Kentucky horse racing - 10 picograms. It is also prohibited from being administered any fewer than 14 days prior to a race.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who won his record-setting seventh Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, has been suspended indefinitely from entering horses in races at Churchill Downs.

Churchill Downs has released an official statement:

Churchill Downs’ Statement in Response to Medina Spirit’s Post-Race Test Result Allegations

LOUISVILLE, KY. (Sunday, May 9, 2021) – It is our understanding that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s post-race blood sample indicated a violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s equine medication protocols. The connections of Medina Spirit have the right to request a test of a split sample and we understand they intend to do so. To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit’s results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner.

Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate. Churchill Downs will not tolerate it. Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack. We will await the conclusion of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commissions’ investigation before taking further steps.

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nkypete

nkypete

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15 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Baffert is claiming one of their horse groomers urinated in the horse's stall after taking cough medicine. Medina Spirit ended up eating some of the contaminated hay, and that's what lead to the positive test.

I'm not sure that I know how to answer that other than "my dog ate my homework".

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Voice of Reason

Voice of Reason

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1 hour ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Baffert is claiming one of their horse groomers urinated in the horse's stall after taking cough medicine. Medina Spirit ended up eating some of the contaminated hay, and that's what lead to the positive test.

That groomer has to be the most "swole" groomer in horse racing if his urine has that much steroids in it.

 If cough medicine is where it came from, athletes across the globe want to know what cough medicine that is.

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Colonels_Wear_Blue

Colonels_Wear_Blue

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We have a revised statement from Bob Baffert...released today:

 

On May 8, 2021, I was informed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that Medina Spirit allegedly tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone. On May 9, 2021, I held a press conference in which I stated that I intended to thoroughly investigate how this could have happened and that I would be completely transparent throughout the process. I immediately began that investigation, which has resulted in me learning of a possible source for the betamethasone, and now, as promised, I want to be forthright about what I have learned.

Following the Santa Anita Derby, Medina Spirit developed dermatitis on his hind end. I had him checked out by my veterinarian who recommended the use of an anti-fungal ointment called Otomax. The veterinary recommendation was to apply this ointment daily to give the horse relief, help heal the dermatitis and prevent it from spreading.

My barn followed this recommendation and Medina Spirit was treated with Otomax once a day up until the day before the Kentucky Derby. Yesterday, I was informed that one of the substances in 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. As such, I wanted to be forthright about this fact as soon as I learned of this information."

As I have stated, my investigation is continuing and we do not know for sure if this ointment was the cause of the test results, or if the test results are even accurate, as they have yet to be confirmed by the split sample. However, again, I have been told that a finding of a small amount, such as 21 picograms, could be consistent with application of this type of ointment. I intend to continue to investigate and I will continue to be transparent.

In the meantime, I want to reiterate two points I made when this matter initially came to light. First, I had no knowledge of how betamethasone could have possibly found its way into Medina Spirit (until now) and this has never been a case of attempting to game the system or get an unfair advantage. Second, horse racing must address its regulatory problem when it comes to substances which can innocuously find their way into a horse's system at the picogram (which is a trillionth of a gram) level. Medina Spirit earned his Kentucky Derby win and my pharmacologists have told me that 21 picograms of betamethasone would have had no effect on the outcome of the race. Medina Spirit is a deserved champion and I will continue to fight for him.

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Colonels_Wear_Blue

Colonels_Wear_Blue

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On 5/11/2021 at 4:01 PM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

We have a revised statement from Bob Baffert...released today:

 

On May 8, 2021, I was informed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that Medina Spirit allegedly tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone. On May 9, 2021, I held a press conference in which I stated that I intended to thoroughly investigate how this could have happened and that I would be completely transparent throughout the process. I immediately began that investigation, which has resulted in me learning of a possible source for the betamethasone, and now, as promised, I want to be forthright about what I have learned.

Following the Santa Anita Derby, Medina Spirit developed dermatitis on his hind end. I had him checked out by my veterinarian who recommended the use of an anti-fungal ointment called Otomax. The veterinary recommendation was to apply this ointment daily to give the horse relief, help heal the dermatitis and prevent it from spreading.

My barn followed this recommendation and Medina Spirit was treated with Otomax once a day up until the day before the Kentucky Derby. Yesterday, I was informed that one of the substances in 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. As such, I wanted to be forthright about this fact as soon as I learned of this information."

As I have stated, my investigation is continuing and we do not know for sure if this ointment was the cause of the test results, or if the test results are even accurate, as they have yet to be confirmed by the split sample. However, again, I have been told that a finding of a small amount, such as 21 picograms, could be consistent with application of this type of ointment. I intend to continue to investigate and I will continue to be transparent.

In the meantime, I want to reiterate two points I made when this matter initially came to light. First, I had no knowledge of how betamethasone could have possibly found its way into Medina Spirit (until now) and this has never been a case of attempting to game the system or get an unfair advantage. Second, horse racing must address its regulatory problem when it comes to substances which can innocuously find their way into a horse's system at the picogram (which is a trillionth of a gram) level. Medina Spirit earned his Kentucky Derby win and my pharmacologists have told me that 21 picograms of betamethasone would have had no effect on the outcome of the race. Medina Spirit is a deserved champion and I will continue to fight for him.



inigo-sum-up.jpg.0075c1fba82f6ae2db9c13173c73dab9.jpg



Nobody bought my cough syrup pee story, so I had to come up with a better one.

So...here I am...trying to convince everyone paying attention to horse racing worldwide, that less than a month before one of the biggest horse races in the world, I, one of the most prominent thoroughbred trainers in the history of the sport, took my Kentucky Derby-aspiring horse to a veterinarian for dermatitis, and then used a prescription ointment on that horse without even thinking to check if the ointment contained any substances controlled or banned for use in racing. Even after having two major flaps with illegal substances in my horses' systems in the last two years, the thought didn't even cross my mind to be on the lookout for that.

Also, I'm gonna continue to try to remove myself from the discussion by saying that this is all just completely unfair to the horse.

So now after I give my SECOND explanation of how this all happened, and how I strenuously point out that I had NO prior knowledge of what went down, I would like to conclude my statement by saying that, sincerely, I hope horse racing addresses what I'm gonna call a 'regulatory problem' so it's easier for me to dope my horses. Please and thank you.

Love,

Bobby B.

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Bluegrasscard

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On 5/11/2021 at 4:14 PM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:



inigo-sum-up.jpg.10d7c1caf578cf7bcbb4b163942fc91f.jpg



Nobody bought my cough syrup pee story, so I had to come up with a better one.

So...here I am...trying to convince everyone paying attention to horse racing worldwide, that less than a month before one of the biggest horse races in the world, I, one of the most prominent thoroughbred trainers in the history of the sport, took my Kentucky Derby-aspiring horse to a veterinarian for dermatitis, and then used a prescription ointment on that horse without even thinking to check if the ointment contained any substances controlled or banned for use in racing. Even after having two major flaps with illegal substances in my horses' systems in the last two years, the thought didn't even cross my mind to be on the lookout for that.

Also, I'm gonna continue to try to remove myself from the discussion by saying that this is all just completely unfair to the horse.

So now after I give my SECOND explanation of how this all happened, and how I strenuously point out that I had NO prior knowledge of what went down, I would like to conclude my statement by saying that, sincerely, I hope horse racing addresses what I'm gonna call a 'regulatory problem' so it's easier for me to dope my horses. Please and thank you.

Love,

Bobby B.

Here is a link with a picture of the box of the prescription.  The list of ingredients is right below the trademark name.  Notice the third item in the list.  

The Mrs. has a pharma-tech certification.  She pointed out that anything end with "-sone" is usually a steroid in medications.  So the fact that the script had steroids in it should not have been missed. 

Unfortunately, incompetence and corruption look alike in these situations.  

 

https://www.farmvet.com/Otomax-Ointment?catargetid=120037530000025611&CAPCID=399494068461&CATCI=dsa-841884394929&CAAGID=84760558533&CADevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v2EBhCtARIsACan3nyOzRj1RH_fGhA1ks47Q2PEPBYe_roC4sfM1lgxxGPrJgmZho-U3dMaAkTCEALw_wcB

Otomax-Ointment_media-1.jpg.2ad6ec499f034a8df5fb9da27e1d632f.jpg

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