Quoted: There’s recently been controversy surrounding 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit’s credibility after traces of an illegal drug was found in the horse’s system during a postrace drug test.
The commonly used drug is called betamethasone.
Director of the Wisconsin Veterinarian Diagnostic laboratory at U-W Madison Dr. Keith Poulsen
says that drug is frequently used as an anti-inflammatory.
“When I was in practice, I would use it to inject a joint to calm down inflammation or arthritis,” said Poulsen.
Paulsen explains that the frequently used drug only recently became illegal on race day.
“In August the race commission had changed the ruling to no allowable levels in urine post tests in any horse that’s in a race. So, I think that’s where the conflict is now, is that the rule changed to no detectable levels and they did find some in the horse.”