Following the horse\u2019s improbable Kentucky Derby win, Medina Spirit was the subject of an ongoing investigation after testing positive for a steroid.<\/b>
\nKentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit died Monday, months after the horse tested positive for an illegal substance following the Derby and sparked a wide-reaching investigation into superstar trainer Bob Baffert and the horse-racing industry as a whole. Medina Spirit did not have the prestigious origin of many other major racing horses, as he was sold for just $1,000 in 2019, generating attention for the rags-to-riches story. The positive press for Medina Spirit\u2019s team did not last long, as a drug test found the horse had twice the legal level of a banned drug at the time of the Derby. What had been a historic win for Baffert quickly became the latest example of his horses\u2019 spotted drug history, as his horses have failed 30 drug tests in the last four decades, per the New York Times. The positive test spurned a lengthy ongoing investigation into whether Medina Spirit should be disqualified from the Derby, thereby stripping the horse of the title. A split urine sample test in June confirmed the presence of illegal levels of betamethasone. However, Baffert and his camp have long claimed the presence of this steroid was from a topical ointment, not injection, and therefore did not give Medina Spirit a racing advantage. Another split test allegedly confirmed that betamethasone entered Medina Spirit\u2019s bloodstream as a result of a veterinarian-directed topical medication, according to a statement from Robertson last week. $1.86 million. That\u2019s how much prize money Medina Spirit won in the Derby, though the horse\u2019s team will be forced to return the money if the horse is indeed disqualified. Bob Baffert’s lawyer: Medina Spirit’s test proved betamethasone was topical, not injected ( The Courier-Journal) Kentucky Derby Winner Tests Positive For Banned Raceday Substance, Trainer Suspended ( Forbes) Bob Baffert, Trainer Of Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit, Sues New York Racing Association Over Drug-Related Suspension ( Forbes)<\/p>\n