Settlement: Justify DQ'd from win in Santa Anita Derby

Triple Crown winner Justify was disqualified from his Santa Anita Derby victory nearly six years after the race in a settlement of a lawsuit by the owner of the runnerup.

Mick Ruis, who also was the trainer of second-place finisher Bolt d'Oro, had sued the California Horse Racing Board in an effort to overturn the CHRB's decision not to take action after Justify's post-race test in 2018 came back positive for the prohibited substance scopolamine.

The settlement in L.A. Superior Court — first reported by The Blood-Horse — calls for Justify to be disqualified and placed last in the race and for the CHRB to pay $300,000 to Ruis.

Bolt d'Oro now earns the $600,000 winner's share of the $1,000,345 purse instead of $200,000 for second, while Justify and owners China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm are stripped of the $600,000 the colt had earned for winning under jockey Mike Smith for trainer Bob Baffert.

The disqualification means Justify no longer was officially undefeated in six starts. It does not affect his sweep of the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, which made him the 13th American Triple Crown winner.

Baffert noted that he was not involved in the litigation or the resolution.

“All parties clearly recognized that the test reported on Justify, and other horses at that time, came from a feed contaminant, specifically jimsonweed, found in the hay fed to the horses,” Baffert said by text message in response to a request for comment. “The recent announced decision dealt with whether the positive from the contaminant should have resulted in disqualification and purse redistribution.”

Scopolamine, a central nervous-system depressant, is prohibited in horses at race time.

Peterson and receiver Allen Robinson II in cost-cutting moves ahead of the start of free agency next week.

• The San Francisco 49ers agreed to a one-year, $7 million extension with right tackle Colton McKivitz to keep him under contract through the 2025 season.

• The Patriots agreed to terms on a three-year pact to retain pending free-agent tight end Hunter Henry.

• The Buffalo Bills resigned DB Taylor Rapp to a three-year contract extension.

• Baltimore agreed to a four-year contract extension with defensive tackle Justin Madubuike.