Split Sample

[1hooper]

Seriously?



Tim Sullivan
Louisville Courier Journal


Medina Spirit’s split sample has not yet been tested. As late as Tuesday, it had not yet been moved from the backside test barn at Churchill Downs.

Consequently, the 147th Kentucky Derby remains no closer to resolution than it did when the winner tested positive for betamethasone nearly two weeks ago. Medina Spirit still stands to be disqualified, but probably not anytime soon.

Though Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) have summarily suspended trainer Bob Baffert for the restricted medication found in blood drawn from Medina Spirit on Derby Day, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) regards a positive test as an unproven allegation until its findings can be confirmed through testing of a second sample.

That process can take weeks, even months, but it has slowed to a standstill since Baffert was notified of the presence of 21 picograms of betamethasone in Medina Spirit’s initial test.

[DoctorDisaster]

[dblakers]

This is my problem with the whole thing. The Public should have never heard that Baffert horse failed a drug test until the second sample came back. In America you are suppose to be innocent until proven guilty.  Now the Public has already convicted Baffert without due process taking place. Churchill and NYRA supsends him without Due Process taking place. Bettors are trying to sue without Due Process taking place. By The way that Law suit is a waste of time, never will go anywhere, never will win regardless of the outcome of the second sample. You ask why? Here is why - You have to prove INTENT by baffert or someone working for him. What I mean is DID baffert drug this horse on purpose to cheat the public. I am saying the public because they are the one sueing.  Also You would have to prove that this drug game him an unfair advantage over the competition. I have heard many Vets say this certain drug is not a performance inhancer. And third and most importantly NO judge is going to want to set a precedance on this. Think about it. Every single time a trainer has an overage of a LEGAL drug, the bettors would sue. It is not going to heppen.


I am by no means trying to defend Baffert, but here is a guy who has gone over to the Dubai and won races and never failed a drug test. He has been around for 40 years and does have 29 failed. As far as I know all of these are legal substances with overage. Its now like we are talking SNAKE VENOM. 

[unusualpete]

with all due respect db, baffert dimed himself out, nobody else. it's pure speculation whether or not cdi was going to report the test findings?

[cherokeescot]

To be fair to Dubai , in common with most jurisdictions they can’t detect all illegal drugs. Navarro raced there three years in a row and never failed a drug test but was caught on a wire tap saying he injected XY Jet at least 50 times while he was there.

pastthewire.com/the-doping-of-x-y-jet/

[forego]

The public has every right to know about a failed drug test, hiding behind closed doors and dragging feet on getting the split sample done is just one more example of why I can't wait until January 1, 2022 comes around and USADA takes over drug testing.

[mysaladdays]

Sorry db, I can't agree with your sentiments.

It almost seems sometimes that racing fans themselves are not on board with making racing better, by not realizing we don't NEED these people in racing.

And you don't know how many times I've read how Linda Rice got "too stiff" a sentence. She basically engaged in racketeering, for 4 years and her sentence is less than the time she spent plying her crime. (acording to the commission that took place for 4 years....at least what they KNOW about).

The final straw for me was her saying how she was "helping" some of the employees.....when someone's mind can actually justify crime by portraying their actions as "helping others", well that to me is very....TWISTED. She should get 10 years for that kind of hubris....and that will give her some time to ponder what she did and stop justifying it in ridiculous terms.

Going to play japan, ascot, hong kong til things straighten out here, because obviously it's not JUST about the drugs.

and last but not least, hope they don't ruin Midnight Bourbon who is 6th off the layoff from some very strenous graded stakes races, but guess using them up at 3 then off to the breeding shed is the model now, oen that Baffert helped set.

I will continue to follow horses that Mandella runs, his horses run 5-10 year old and there is a reason for his success in that manner.

As a racing fan I cannot develop a following for horses who run for 1 single career year and then I never see them again. Til then I am no longer contributing wager $$ to U.S. racing until I see major changes, not hints of it, but real changes.

[1hooper]

Split sample confirmed positive. www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/kentucky-derby-winner-medina-spirits-failed-drug-test-is-confirmed.html

[ozzy]

The DQ is coming

[cherokeescot]

Have the painters showed up at the parade ring yet ? That will be an iconic photo!

[1hooper]

Baffert lawyer speak. Setting the table for appeal.
At the end of the day, we anticipate this case to be about the treatment of Medina Spirit’s skin rash with Otomax.”

Brewster is owner Amr Zedan's lawyer.
According to the New York Times, Brewster said “the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has agreed to send the original blood and urine tests to an independent and accredited laboratory for analysis to determine whether the specimens contain other components proving the source to be the topical ointment.”

[bobtailnag]

With a million+ at stake I can't blame Zedan for pulling out all the stops. If the new lab comes back with the skin rash treatment it might be a few years before we know who gets the money. I would also think many owners and trainers would start questioning how accurate the testing is or has been over the years.

[eye123]

My problem with this...what are they retesting for? Are they testing for other ingredients found in Otomax such as gentamicin sulfate, or clotrimazole which might be found OR are they testing just for betamethasone valerate ? (Otomax bethamethasone) If they disregard testing for say betamethasone sodium phosphate or betamethasone acetate which is found in the injectable betamethasone (which I'm sure was not requested) what does that really tell us. Yes, ointment was used (vets have never done research on absorption rate for Otomax) but was an injectable also used. Like watching a magician watch this hand, not my other.

[mysaladdays]

I'm not one who focuses on reparitions, penalties, DQs, etc. I want it to stop as much as possible BEFORE it occurs.

Well regulated rules with teeth as a deterrent, and more truly deserving barns get a chance to shine........ones we can be "proud of." Because neither the bettors nor the honest barns can compete against drugs.

I realize there are those who are rubbing their hands in glee over Baffert getting banned from CD, but that doesn't do anything for me. Nor for the bettors who invested in the race.

All that is after-the-fact stuff that will lie in the realm of attorneys. The embarassment to U.S. racing is the long-lasting side effect/damage.


I am still baffled that Sadler not only violated the terms of his probabation, but the very horse that pulled that positive has an opportunity to race for $300,000 stakes money in the True North.

We are rewarding instead of punishing. That's upside down.


That was the tipping point for me and why not even $2 will leave my wallet until Jan. 2022 when USADA is installed.