MEDINA SPIRIT has been stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby win – despite passing away of a suspected heart attack in December.
Trainer Bob Baffert has also been banned for 90 days after the horse failed a drugs test over banned medication.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission also fined him $7,500 (around £5,500) along with the purse money today.
Second-placed Mandaloun will now be declared the winner of the 147th Kentucky Derby.
Medina Spirit romped home at 12-1 last May in a huge shock in one of the US classics.
Churchill Downs said in a statement: “Today Churchill Downs recognizes Mandaloun as the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby.
“We extend our congratulations to owner/breeder Juddmonte, trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.
“Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting achievements in sports.
“We look forward to celebrating Mandaloun on a future date in a way that is fitting of this rare distinction.”
Churchill Downs had previously suspended Baffert for two years after the latest in a recent series of failed tests by his horses
Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone last May, which is legal in Kentucky but is prohibited on race day.
Medina Spirit died on December 6 after a workout at Santa Anita racetrack in California.
Results released earlier this month from a post-mortem on the horse revealed no cause of death.
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