Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby win is officially vacated after a positive test for betamethasone. So what happens to the bets cashed in on the victory?
In a word, nothing.
The stewards' decision disqualifying Medina Spirit specifically says: "Pari-mutuel wagering is not affected by this ruling."
In other words, the payouts are done and over.
No. 8 Medina Spirit won the 147th Kentucky Derby at odds of 12-1, meaning a $10 win-bet returned $120. His subsequent disqualification doesn't change that.
These were the final payouts:
- 8 - Medina Spirit WIN: $26.20 PLACE: $12.00 SHOW: 7.60
- 7 - Mandaloun PLACE: 23.00 SHOW: $13.40
- 9 - Hot Rod Charlie: SHOW: $5.20
- $2 Exacta 8-7 $503.60
- $1 Trifecta 8-7-9 $1,696.90
- $10 Superfecta 8-7-9-14 $9,456.40
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, a timeline:From a surprise Kentucky Derby win to a potential disqualification
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. But anyone who bet on Mandaloun to win won't be able to cash in the ticket.
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.
“Those tickets will never be good,” he said of Maximum Security betting slips.
More Medina Spirit news:Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit faces disqualification after drug test confirmed positive
A final answer on who is the winner of the 2021 Derby could be years away considering the legal battle over Dancer's Image's disqualification in the 1968 Derby was not settled until 1972.
Email Jon Hale at [email protected]; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.
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