The stewards' hearing in the 2021 Kentucky Derby drug positive took place on Feb. 14, but attorneys tell Horse Racing Nation they do not know when to expect a decision. As was widely reported, first-place finisher Medina Spirit was found to have an overage of the corticosteroid betamethasone in his system after the race, which was later confirmed on split sample. Trainer Bob Baffert's legal team asserts the substance came from the topical administration of a prescription cream.
HRN reported Monday that the hearing, which was closed to the public and to press, was held via videoconference and lasted about three hours. Afterwards, Baffert's attorneys asked when a decision could be expected, but were not given a timeframe.
It is not unusual for stewards to make their rulings some length of time after a hearing has taken place, although because stewards' hearings are not open to the public in Kentucky, it's hard to know how long the turnaround typically is there. Copies of the formal rulings are available on the commission's website here.
Citing policy surrounding open cases, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has declined comment since Baffert made it public about a day after he was informed Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone.
Baffert attorney W. Craig Robertson told HRN he was “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome for his client.
Read more at Horse Racing Nation
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