Medina Spirit with positive doping sample
The winner of this year's Kentucky Derby comes under criticism. Betamethasone, a drug banned in racing, was found in his blood sample.
The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium said betamethasone "is widely used in equine veterinary medicine as a steroidal anti-inflammatory."
Nevertheless, the drug remains a banned substance, which is not allowed in racing. One is only allowed to administer it until 14 days before a race. Then dose of 10 pictograms per milliliter is allowed. In the blood of Medina Spirit was allowed 21 pictograms per milliliter.
The Jockey Club responded with the following statement, "We sincerely hope that justice is swift, safe, fair and consistent. Bettors and fans alike must have unwavering confidence in the integrity of the sport. The passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) will undeniably provide our sport with a far better level of regulation."
Attorneys for the jockey, trainer and owner stated that Medina Spirit had been treated for a rash several days ago. Therefore, the drug could have gotten into its blood.
So it remains exciting how this case will develop!
