Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit tests positive for banned substance

Under jockey John Velazquez, Medina Spirit jumped to an early lead and fended off challenges down the stretch to cross the line first in front of 51,838 fans in the largest U.S. sporting event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The win was Hall of Fame jockey Velazquez’s fourth in the Triple Crown race, which returned to its usual first Saturday in May spot on the sport’s calendar after being pushed to September last year due to the pandemic.

Tim Ritvo is out as chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which runs Santa Anita, where a large number of horse deaths has provoked a crisis in the sport. The company announced the move on Monday, saying that Ritvo left the same day to ”pursue new opportunities.” His departure