Medina Spirit Story
 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/meet-bree...160733156.html

Great story on Medina Spirit's humble beginnings.

Wonderful story Cal. Thanks for posting it. It certainly shows that a Derby winner can emerge from almost anywhere and that people at all levels of the economic spectrum can participate.

Agreed. Thanks, Cal.

I had to share it on FB. Let's see what he does in the Preakness assuming he runs 😀

I would have liked to see Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie in the Preakness. They were both very wide in the turn into the stretch and lost a lot of ground. I can understand why Essential Quality is skipping because he is a Tapit and should be well suited to the Belmont, but don't know about Hot Rod Charlie. I think I read they just want him to have more time to recover than the two weeks between the races. Anyway, it looks like the Preakness will be a sizable field so that part is good.

Update
 

Trainer Bob Baffert issued a statement May 11
suggesting Medina Spirit's post-race positive test for betamethasone in the Kentucky Derby
may have been the result of an ointment used to treat the horse for dermatitis.

Story on BLOODHORSE

I saw in another thread that the ointment in question is otomax. If you've owned any Labrador Retrievers or other big dogs, you may be familiar with it. It is used to treat fungal infections in the ears. I've used it many times on my dogs. Labs seem to all get the infections at one time or another. I've got a small tube of it and it does indeed list betamethasone as an ingredient. Course I'm not a vet nor do I play one on TV so I haven't a clue whether all this makes sense or not. I'm sure we will hear at some point whether a horse could absorb enough drug into its sytem or not by topical application.

Will Run In Preakness
 

Medina Spirit and Concert Tour can race in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course after trainer Bob Baffert consented to the blood testing, monitoring, and medical review of his horses by the Maryland Jockey Club.

The move comes in the aftermath of a May 9 announcement that Medina Spirit tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone and faces possible disqualification from a victory in the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.