Horse racing: Trainer Bob Baffert gets two-year Kentucky Derby ban over doping case
Sanction follows positive drugs test against race winner Medina Spirit
Los Angeles: Trainer Bob Baffert has been banned from entering horses at the Kentucky Derby for two years following confirmation of the positive drugs test against this year’s race winner Medina Spirit, organisers said Wednesday.
A statement from Churchill Downs Inc, which operates the Kentucky Derby, said no horse trained by Baffert would be allowed to race at the track until the end of the Spring Meet in 2023.
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It means Baffert — one of the most successful trainers in US racing history — will not be allowed to enter the Kentucky Derby until 2024 at the earliest.
The suspension comes after Baffert’s Medina Spirit, which won this year’s Kentucky Derby, tested positive for a banned steroid.