Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert announced Monday he's dropping his appeal of Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

"Zedan Racing owner, Amr Zedan, and I have decided that it is best to positively focus on the present and future that our great sport offers," Baffert said.

Medina Spirit held off Mandaloun in a frenzied finish at Churchill Downs, giving Baffert his seventh victory in the Run for the Roses.

However, the colt tested positive for betamethasone in a post-race test. The substance itself is legal, but its usage is restricted around races. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced in February 2022 it had officially disqualified Medina Spirit from the Derby, with Mandaloun crowned the new champion.

Churchill Downs also initially suspended Baffert for two years and extended his ban through 2024

In the complaint he filed in March 2022, Baffert alleged Churchill Downs Inc. had denied him due process and was intent on "destroying" his career.

Medina Spirit's disqualification led to wider scrutiny toward the 71-year-old.

In 2021, the Washington Post's Gus-Garcia Roberts and Steven Rich reported at least 74 horses had died while under his care in California since 2000 and that "Baffert's horses have died at the highest rate of the 10 trainers who have had the most horse deaths."

Representatives for Baffert disputed the characterization of the findings, citing the high volume of horses he regularly oversees, and argued "the number of deaths of horses in Bob's barn is consistent with what would normally be expected from the horse population in general."

Medina Spirit died in December 2021 following a workout and a necropsy was unable to determine his cause of death.