What Happens to Bets on Medina Spirit?

The horse racing world was shocked to learn that Medina Spirit, the winning horse from the 2021 Kentucky Derby, has failed a drug test and could potentially be disqualified from this victory. This shocking news is leading sports bettors to question - what happens to bets on Medina Spirit?

What Happens to Bets on Medina Spirit?

Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid betamethasone, which is commonly used to treat pain and inflammation, during a standard post-race drug test. Bets on Medina Spirit will await a second test, which is needed to confirm if the horse will be disqualified from its victory at the Kentucky Derby.

If Medina Spirit is Disqualified, What Happens to Bets?

Immediately following this shocking news, Churchill Downs responded with the swift action of suspending Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit's Hall of Fame trainer.

Medina Spirit's potential disqualification will be confirmed by a follow-up drug test. It's expected that another failed drug test for betamethasone would result in Medina Spirit's official disqualification from victory.

Medina Spirit - Kentucky Derby Bets

If Medina Spirit is disqualified, then second-place finisher Mandaloun will be crowned the new champion of the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

2021 Kentucky Derby - Medina Spirit Bets

While Medina Spirit's team and owner would have to return the $1.86 million in prize money, sports bettors should be able to retain their winnings.

According to The Courier Journal, "wagering is unlikely to be affected," even if Medina Spirit is ultimately disqualified by a second test.

Mandaloun Bets

Unfortunately, it's also unlikely to see a change for those who bet on Mandaloun, the second-place finisher. "Anyone who bet on Mandaloun to win is unlikely to be able to cash it in if Medina Spirit is disqualified either."

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.