Justify Failed A Drug Test Before His Kentucky Derby Win….What Does This Mean For His Triple Crown?

In 2018, Justify became the 13th horse to win thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that Justify failed a drug test prior to the Kentucky Derby and shouldn’t have been eligible to race to begin with. 

The Times reports that the horse tested positive for scopolamine, a banned performance-enhancer, after winning the Santa Anita Derby on April 7, 2018. The Times reports that two months after Justify completed the Triple Crown, the board concluded that the positive test could have resulted from Justify eating contaminated food and dropped the inquiry before changing the penalty of a positive scopolamine test to a fine and possible suspension in October. 

**The report notes that the presence of jimson weed that is sometimes found in horse feed can result in a positive test for scopolamine.

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