(Reuters) – Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, the Bob Baffert-trained horse which failed a drug test after its May 1 triumph, is eligible to compete in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the Maryland Jockey Club said on Tuesday.
If the horse’s positive test for the anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone is confirmed, Churchill Downs said it will strip Medina Spirit of its Kentucky Derby win and the racetrack has already banned Baffert from entering horses there.
The controversy surrounding Medina Spirit’s positive test raised questions about whether the three-year-old colt would be allowed to compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
“Medina Spirit will be permitted to enter into the 146th Preakness Stakes to be run on Saturday, May 15th with rigorous conditions to entry along with a binding commitment from Bob Baffert to full transparency of medical and testing results that will allow for all results to be released to the public,” the Maryland Jockey Club said in a statement.
“As a condition of acceptance of the entry, Baffert has provided his consent to the Maryland Jockey Club to allow for rigorous testing and monitoring in addition to that conducted by the Maryland Racing Commission.”
Baffert has repeatedly denied giving the horse illegal substances. He said on Tuesday that an anti-fungal ointment to treat dermatitis could be the source of the positive test.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)
