OWNERS of a superstar winning horse have been ordered to repay over £500,000 after the runner was disqualified – SIX years after the race.
Awesome American colt Justify has been at the centre of a legal battle with massive financial implications.
AP:Associated PressJustify won the Triple Crown but his perfect record has been tarnished with this DQ[/caption]
Chiefs in the US have disqualified him from his Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby win in April 2018 after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
The action followed a successful lawsuit filed by Mick Ruis, owner of original runner-up Bolt d’Oro.
That horse has now been named winner in Justify’s place, with Ruis receiving the original £444,444 prize money plus, Bloodhorse report, an additional £240,000.
Winning jockey and trainer Mike Smith and Bob Baffert have been told to return their £46,500 winnings too.
Justify is one of American racing’s greatest ever horses and won the Triple Crown.
But his win in the Santa Anita Derby has now been scrubbed from the record.
A New York Times article in September 2019 alleged a failed drugs test.
Trainer Baffert argued the scopolamine positive came from contaminated feed.
The results of the test were originally thrown out but Ruis successfully fought that decision and has now been awarded the race.
Justify was owned by a partnership of China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm.
The horse was unbeaten in five other career runs and is one of the most exciting stallions of recent times.
He charges £160,000 to cover a mare at Ashford Stud in Kentucky, US.
One of his progeny, City Of Troy is already odds-on to win the 2000 Guineas and just 15-8 to win the Derby.
He has drawn comparisons to Frankel and gave punters shivers when routing rivals in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes last year.
Justify’s connections were ordered to return the money for redistribution by April 29.
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