Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit Dies After Santa Anita Workout
Medina Spirit, the first-place finisher at this year's Kentucky Derby, collapsed and died Monday after a workout at Santa Anita Park in California, the California Horse Racing Board's Equine Medical Director Jeff Blea confirmed.
The horse was three-years-old.
Trainer Bob Baffert said in a statement that the colt suffered an apparent heart attack.
Per the Paulick Report, on Monday, Medina Spirit had completed five furlongs in 1:01.40 in whhis second workout since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic in early November.
“My entire barn is devastated by this news,” Baffert said. “Medina Spirit was a great champion, a member of our family who was loved by all, and we are deeply mourning his loss. I will always cherish the proud and personal memories of Medina Spirit and his tremendous spirit.”
“I spoke to the attending veterinarian, and when they got to him on the track he had already expired,” Blea said, per the Paulick Report. “Not sure where on the track it happened but it was post wire.
Medina Spirit will undergo a full necropsy, which the Associated Press notes is required by the California Horse Racing Board.
Medina Spirit's victory last May has been the subject of an investigation. The horse tested positive after the May 1 Derby for betamethasone, a legal medication that is not allowed on race day.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has an active investigation into the case.
Last week, Craig Robertson, Baffert’s attorney, said in a statement that there was proof the horse was not injected with betamethasone but instead the medication was administered through an ointment. In June, Churchill Downs suspended Baffert for two years amid the situation.
Medina Spirit had five wins in 10 career starts at the time of its death, and earnings of $3,545,200, according to Equibase.
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