What is Bob Baffert's net worth? Kentucky Derby winner says ‘I was robbed’ after Medina Spirit fails drug test
On May 1, Medina Spirit won the 2021 Kentucky Derby, earning Bob Baffert his seventh win as a trainer in the race. Ridden by John Velazquez, Medina Spirit won America's most famous race at Churchill Downs. But this victory and all associated honors might be revoked as the latest reports reveal that Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has failed a drug test.
It has left Baffert, who would have otherwise won a record seventh win in the race as a trainer, "shocked" to discover that the horse tested above the limit for betamethasone. He insisted that he never administered the substance. "I got the biggest gut punch in racing for something I didn't do," he said.
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Tested positive
Barely days ago, many applauded the 68-year-old for his hard work. But at the time, he admitted the victory had come to him as a shock. He said, "I'm really, really surprised. I cannot believe he won this race. That little horse, that was him, all guts. He's always shown that he's been an overachiever. His heart is bigger than his body."
But on Sunday, May 9, just a week after the win, it was reported that Medina Spirit had tested positive for 21 picograms of the anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone. It is reportedly above Kentucky racing's threshold of ten picograms per milliliter.
'I was robbed'
"It's such an injustice to the horse. I don't feel embarrassed, I feel like I was robbed," the California-based trainer reportedly said. "But I'm going to fight it tooth and nail, because I owe it to the horse; I owe it to the owner and I owe it to our industry. There are problems in racing, but it's not Bob Baffert. I don't believe in conspiracy theories, but why is it happening to me?"
Suspension
Churchill Downs has reportedly suspended Baffert from having entries for races. While Medina Spirit has not been officially disqualified from the Kentucky Derby yet, it could still happen as other tests are completed. "If the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit's results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared winner," it said in a statement. "Failure to comply with the rules and medication protocols jeopardizes the safety of the horses and jockeys, the integrity of our sport and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby and all who participate. Churchill Downs will not tolerate it."
The trainer had last year reportedly pledged "to do better" after a number of positive tests were produced from his horses. But this time around, he distanced himself from the incident saying, "This shouldn't have happened. There's a problem somewhere. It didn't come from us."
What is Bob Baffert's net worth?
The American horse owner and trainer had an estimated net worth of $30 million. Baffert started his career as a jockey, eventually deciding to become a trainer after finding it difficult to maintain the required amount of weight (100-108 lbs).
His latest win would have made it his seventh Kentucky Derby victory but without it, Baffert has reportedly won six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes and three Kentucky Oaks.
