Medina Spirit stripped of Kentucky Derby title two months after death

Medina Spirit has officially been disqualified from the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The colt crossed the line first in May’s race but failed a post-race drugs test. His trainer, Bob Baffert, was banned from entering horses at the Kentucky Derby for two years after the controversy. He denied deliberately doping the horse, which had been a 12-1 outsider to win the race, and blamed the failed test on an ointment used to treat a rash on the horse.

Medina Spirit died in December after suffering a suspected heart attack while working out at California’s Santa Anita track.

On Monday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Association also fined Baffert $7,500 and handed down a 90-day suspension. Medina Spirit’s owner, Amr Zedan, will not be allowed to collect the $1.8m prize for winning the Derby. Mandaloun, who finished second behind Medina Spirit, is now the official winner of the race.

Medina Spirit is the third winner of the famous race to be disqualified. In 2019, it was ruled that Maximum Security impeded the path of two horses in the final turn before crossing the line first. In 1968, Dancer’s Image was disqualified after testing positive for a banned anti-inflammatory.