Kentucky Derby Winner’s DQ Won’t Change the Bets. Here’s Why.

Medina Spirit failed a drug test and he can't win the Kentucky Derby. His friend can still bet on Mandaloun. The betting rules are clear and the winner can collect his money.

The statute of limitations on sports betting is very limited. It's impossible to track Derby bettors who have already lost their money. The only other time a Derby winner was disqualified for drug reasons was in 1968. Maximum Security crossed the line first in 2019 but was ruled to have interfered with several other horses. Country House was declared the winner. Reggie Bush returned his 2005 Heisman Trophy five years later. He didn't have to return his bet. Bettors cannot. They can't. There's no guarantee that the decision on Medina Spirit won't be reversed. In 1968, the theory was put forward that Dancer’s Image had been drugged by nefarious characters.