Former President Donald Trump blasted Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit as a “junky” on Sunday after revelations that the horse failed a drug test.
The facts: By way of a statement on his new website, Trump weighed in on the racing news bombshell, which will potentially disqualify Medina Spirit’s victory from the May 1 competition.
- “So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky. This is emblematic of what is happening to our Country,” he wrote just minutes after issuing a characteristically colorful Mother’s Day greeting.
- “The whole world is laughing at us as we go to hell on our Borders, our fake Presidential Election, and everywhere else!” he added, referring to the crisis on the southern border and his continued claims of irregularities in the 2020 presidential election.
The horse: Medina Spirit tested positive for illicitly high levels of betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid, trainer Bob Baffert announced at a Sunday morning press conference.
- Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer, denied that Medina Spirit had been treated with the drug, saying, “There’s problems in racing. But it’s not Bob Baffert.”
- The colt’s victory in the first Triple Crown race will not be voided in favor of runner-up Mandaloun until a second test confirms the results.
- Racetrack authorities are deliberating whether Medina Spirit will be permitted to compete in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the Baltimore-hosted second leg of the Triple Crown.
Why isn’t Trump tweeting? Facebook’s decision to uphold its ban on Trump has been viewed in some corners as a serious blow to the former president’s influence and fundraising operations.
- Trump was booted from Facebook and Twitter following the January 6 Capitol riot, which some claimed Trump incited.
- But some observers say banning Trump from the biggest social media platforms has only served to make him more powerful.
