When administered by a veterinarian, betamethasone is injected intra-muscularly, near joints, according to the internet. However, it can be given in powder form into water, but that is not standard practice. For nefarious practice anything can happen. One would presume that if this horse had any inflammatory issues, Baffert would have used standard practice veterinary approaches to get the maximum value from the drug. After all, why get the detection without the benefit.
There are drug positives happening all the time. You just don't hear about it on the shows. Perhaps not the big trainers, but they happen. Especially if it isn't the big horses. Mostly it is when a horse does not metabolize a drug within a certain amount of time and some residual drug (that was legally administered) remains at a higher level in the system. The standardbreds have an approach to minimize some of the potential problems with the drugs; they have a detention barn where horses for big races are supposed to check in hours (or days) before a big race. State vets handle all of the drug administration so it is all legal. It is added expense, but it has cut out drug positives from races.
Unfortunately for Baffert, you can't prove a negative. If someone did this to the horse, he is on the hook.
Speaking of PETA, at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, there is a kerfuffle about new whipping rules that might alter the jockey colony. 70% of the usual jockeys are NOT returning to Monmouth because of very restrictive whipping rules where jockeys can only use the whip for safety reasons. There are many complaints about this from jockeys, bettors, and owners. Much of this is about perception. It is not easy to hurt a 1200 lb animal with a short leather stick. (not at the angle that the jockeys are doing it). Maybe you can "shock" him by touching him with it unexpectedly, but these animals are huge and strong; I don't believe that they are feeling a lot of pain in their flanks. Whips may be a different matter (used in Harness racing); which are longer and are restricted in their use. As a bettor, you'll have to know or mark a program/PPs to know if a horse was in a state where rules restricted the use of a whip/crop. Some horses, who are reluctant to move unless stirred, and race in such a state, might not perform as well.
Whipping trainers is allowed according to PETA, but perhaps not some legal jurisdictions
Larry
DevilHorse