Eight Belles, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), tested negative for all banned substances, including steroids, according to test results from the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority’s official laboratory at Iowa State University.

Lisa Underwood, KHRA executive director, said the test results were returned to her office late in the day on May 16.

Eight Belles was the only Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) participant to undergo steroid testing. Underwood said the KHRA suggested to her trainer, Larry Jones, that a steroid test be performed on the daughter of Unbridled’s Song after speculation that the large gray or roan filly had been administrated the substances and that they might have played a role in her breakdown during the gallop out after the Derby.

In addition to the steroid test, Eight Belles, who was owned by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm, underwent the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Super Test and was tested for TCO2 (milkshake), a mixture of bicarbonate and/or other alkaline substances that is fed to a horse before it competes. The mixture produces higher levels of carbon dioxide, which delays the buildup of lactic acid in a horse’s muscles and is believed to increase stamina