Report: Racehorse Justify Failed Drug Test Prior to Winning Triple Crown

Justify tested positive for the drug scopolamine prior to winning the Santa Anita Derby

Report: Justify Failed Drug Test Prior to Winning Triple Crown
Justify ridden by jockey Mike Smith wins the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes. (Al Bello/Getty)
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According to a report from The New York TimesJustify’s historic win in 2018 is tainted because the horse failed a drug way on its way to winning the Triple Crown.

The paper reports Justify tested positive for the drug scopolamine prior to winning the Santa Anita Derby, one of the final prep races before the Kentucky Derby. The positive test should have triggered an automatic disqualification from the Derby for the Bob Baffert-trained thoroughbred, but that wasn’t the case.

Instead, Justify went on to win the Derby and took the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to complete the Triple Crown.

Scopolamine is used “to clear a horse’s airway and optimize its heart rate” and the amount found during the test was excessive, according to the report.

The California Horse Racing Board did notify Baffert about the positive test, but took more than a month to confirm the results. Then, instead of filing a public complaint, the CHRB made the decision to drop its inquiry into the positive result during a closed-door executive session.

“We take seriously the integrity of horse racing in California and are committed to implementing the highest standards of safety and accountability for all horses, jockeys and participants,” the CHRB said in a statement.

According to Louisville Courier Journal columnist Tim Sullivan, the apparent cover-up paints the entire horse-racing industry in a bad light.

“Maybe everyone involved is entirely honorable, scrupulous and objectiv,” Sullivan writes. “Still, the whole thing looks lousy. Whenever industry insiders double as regulators, their ability to render arm’s-length decisions is inherently compromised. When they make significant decisions behind closed doors and neglect to clue in the general public about the relevant issues, it erodes whatever trust the industry has earned.”

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