What happens after Medina Spirit drug test

Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby win is at risk after a positive test for betamethasone, but what about the bets cashed in on the victory?

Even if Medina Spirit is ultimately disqualified – something that can only happen after a second positive test – pari-mutuel wagering is unlikely to be affected.

The last time a Kentucky Derby winner was disqualified for a positive drug test (Dancer’s Image, 1968), the Kentucky Horse Racing commission ordered Forward Pass, the horse that crossed the finish line second in the race, be considered the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, except for pari-mutuel payoffs.

Medina Spirit:Bob Baffert trained horse tests positive for betamethasone after winning Kentucky Derby

When Bob Baffert-trained filly Gamine was disqualified from her third-place finish in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, pari-mutuel wagering was not affected by the ruling.

While Churchill Downs confirmed Mandaloun, the horse that finished second in the 2021 Derby, will be declared the winner of the race if the findings of Medina Spirit's positive test are upheld by the split sample test, anyone who bet on Mandaloun to win is unlikely to be able to cash it in if Medina Spirit is disqualified either.

Bob Heleringer, author of “Equine Regulatory Law,” told The Courier Journal when the owners of Maximum Security were attempting to overturn that horse’s disqualification as the 2019 Kentucky Derby winner that once a race is official, the betting results are final, regardless of mistakes by the track or an appeal.

He called it “one of the most irrevocable standards in racing” and said it is the law in every state.