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Kentucky Derby Winner, Medina Spirit, Fails Drug Test

(SOUNDBITE OF 147TH KENTUCKY DERBY TELECAST)

LARRY COLLMUS: They're off in the Kentucky Derby.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And here's how the final seconds of the race's 147th running sounded on NBC Sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF 147TH KENTUCKY DERBY TELECAST)

COLLMUS: Here's the wire. Bob Baffert does it again. Medina Spirit has won the Kentucky Derby.

MARTIN: Yes, the race happened two weekends ago, but Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test and may have his victory revoked.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BOB BAFFERT: I was totally shocked when I heard this news. It was just shocking. You know, I still - I'm trying to absorb it right now. I'm the most scrutinized trainer, and I have millions of eyes on me. But you know what? I don't have a problem with that.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We're hearing Medina Spirit's trainer, Bob Baffert, who has been suspended now by officials at Churchill Downs. He denies any wrongdoing and plans to enter the horse in Saturday's Preakness, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BAFFERT: Pretty serious accusations here. And so - but we're going to get to the bottom of it and find out. We know we didn't do it.

MARTIN: This year was Bob Baffert's record seventh Kentucky Derby victory. But the Hall of Fame trainer has faced recent allegations of doping. In a little more than a year, five horses he has trained have failed drug tests.

INSKEEP: Baffert insists that no one on his team administered an excessive amount of an anti-inflammatory drug to Medina Spirit. The test it sampled from the horse showed 21 picograms of betamethasone. The allowable limit in Kentucky is 10. Here's Baffert again.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BAFFERT: It's a complete injustice. And I'm going to fight it tooth and nail.

MARTIN: If Medina Spirit's positive test is confirmed, the colt would become the third winning horse to be stripped of its title in the race's long history. The Derby's runner-up, Mandaloun, would be declared the winner.

INSKEEP: In that case, Bob Baffert and his team would have an opportunity to appeal.

(SOUNDBITE OF FOALS SONG, "2 TREES") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.