Kentucky Derby winner cleared to compete in the Preakness after passing drug tests

Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has been cleared to compete in the Preakness Stakes after passing three drug tests, the Maryland Jockey Club said Friday. The announcement comes after the horse tested positive for the steroid betamethasone in a sample taken after the Derby, throwing the horse racing world into turmoil. 

Medina Spirit and two other horses from trainer Bob Baffert were given three rounds of blood sample testing in recent days as a condition of competing in this weekend's races, which will be held at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. All three horses were cleared to compete, the jockey club said. Medina Spirit and Concert Tour will race in the Preakness, and Beautiful Gift will run in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.  The controversy surrounding Medina Spirit began on Sunday when Baffert announced the horse had failed a post-race drug test. Baffert said he was told the horse was found to have 21 picograms of betamethasone, which is double Kentucky's legal threshold, according to The Associated Press.