Medina Spirit (USA)
April 5, 2018 – December 6, 2021
Protonico (USA) x Mongolian Changa (USA), by Brilliant Speed (USA)
Family 2-t
April 5, 2018 – December 6, 2021
Protonico (USA) x Mongolian Changa (USA), by Brilliant Speed (USA)
Family 2-t
When Medina Spirit came home as the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1), it seemed as though the stock Hollywood plot of a rags-to-riches horse coming through to win the Derby had found a real-life hero in a colt that had sold for just US$1,000 as a yearling. On May 9, the feel-good story was abruptly turned on its head by the news that the Derby winner had tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone in his post-race sample, a finding later confirmed on June 2 after testing of a split sample. The headlines were a major public relations blow for horse racing and continued to generate negative publicity for the sport as trainer Bob Baffert contested sanctions related to the drug positive, claiming that the positive was the result of topical application of the antifungal ointment Otomax. While testing results from the New York Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory appear to have been consistent with the ointment having been the source, the stewards of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission disqualified Medina Spirit from his Derby win on February 21, 2022, and issued a 90-day suspension to Baffert. These sanctions were upheld by a hearing officer for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet in a report released May 26, 2023.
Medina Spirit raced creditably during the remainder of the 2021 racing season and made himself a legitimate contender for the title of American champion 3-year-old male after outfinishing Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) Essential Quality in both the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). Nonetheless, his life and career remained overshadowed by the drug scandal when he died suddenly of an apparent heart attack following exercise at Santa Anita Park on December 6, 2021. His death was a sad anticlimax to what had seemed so bright a story on the first Saturday in May.
Race record
10 starts, 4 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
2021:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2021, 5 pounds below overall highweight Knicks Go and tied with RUNHAPPY Malibu Stakes (USA-G1) winner Flightline and Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (USA-G1) winner Life Is Good as the best 3-year-old on dirt.
As an individual
A well-balanced, correct dark bay or brown colt, Medina Spirit had fine natural speed and typically did his best running from on or close to the pace. He had a sensible disposition and was a determined competitor on the track. He underwent throat surgery to correct a breathing problem after the San Felipe Stakes in March 2021.
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Medina Spirit was bred by Gail Rice, who sold the colt for just US$1,000 to pinhooker Christy Whitman at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales winter mixed sale. He was owned by Amr Zedan’s Zedan Racing Stables, which acquired the colt as a US$35,000 purchase from the 2020 OBS July sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age. He was trained by Bob Baffert and was regularly ridden by John Velazquez.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the Grade 2-winning Giant’s Causeway horse Protonico, Medina Spirit is inbred 5x4 to 1972 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1) winner and important sire Roberto and 5x5x5 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector. He is the only named foal produced to date from Mongolian Changa, a daughter of 2011 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) winner Brilliant Speed (by Dynaformer). She is out of the Unbridled mare Bridled, whose dam Holy Niner (by Holy Bull) is a winning half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner High Yield (by Storm Cat). Holy Niner is also a half sister to Scoop of Gold (by Giant’s Causeway), dam of Grade 3 winner Medea (by Danehill Dancer).
Holy Niner and her siblings were produced from stakes winner Scoop the Gold (by Forty Niner), whose half sister Forest Flower (by Green Forest) was the English champion 2-year-old filly of 1986 and the winner of the 1987 Goffs Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1). The next dam in Medina Spirit’s tail-female line, multiple Group 3 winner Leap Lively (by Nijinsky II), is also the dam of All Hallows (by Halo), dam of multiple listed stakes winner Halo River (by Irish River) and the second dam of 2015 Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse and of Grade 3 winner and four-time Canadian champion sire Old Forester.
Books and media
Santa Anita Park’s footage of Medina Spirit’s win in the 2021 Awesome Again Stakes can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtMegrnHofY.
Fun facts
Last updated: January 22, 2024
Medina Spirit raced creditably during the remainder of the 2021 racing season and made himself a legitimate contender for the title of American champion 3-year-old male after outfinishing Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) Essential Quality in both the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). Nonetheless, his life and career remained overshadowed by the drug scandal when he died suddenly of an apparent heart attack following exercise at Santa Anita Park on December 6, 2021. His death was a sad anticlimax to what had seemed so bright a story on the first Saturday in May.
Race record
10 starts, 4 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
2021:
- Won Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Robert B. Lewis Stakes (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Shared Belief Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Del Mar)
- 2nd Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1, 10FD, Del Mar)
- 2nd Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Felipe S. (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Sham Stakes (USA-G3, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Preakness Stakes (USA-G1, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Also finished first in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs) but disqualified due to a positive for bethmethasone.
Honors
- Eclipse Award finalist, American champion 3-year-old male (2021)
- Florida-bred Horse of the Year (2021)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2021, 5 pounds below overall highweight Knicks Go and tied with RUNHAPPY Malibu Stakes (USA-G1) winner Flightline and Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (USA-G1) winner Life Is Good as the best 3-year-old on dirt.
As an individual
A well-balanced, correct dark bay or brown colt, Medina Spirit had fine natural speed and typically did his best running from on or close to the pace. He had a sensible disposition and was a determined competitor on the track. He underwent throat surgery to correct a breathing problem after the San Felipe Stakes in March 2021.
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Medina Spirit was bred by Gail Rice, who sold the colt for just US$1,000 to pinhooker Christy Whitman at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales winter mixed sale. He was owned by Amr Zedan’s Zedan Racing Stables, which acquired the colt as a US$35,000 purchase from the 2020 OBS July sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age. He was trained by Bob Baffert and was regularly ridden by John Velazquez.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the Grade 2-winning Giant’s Causeway horse Protonico, Medina Spirit is inbred 5x4 to 1972 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1) winner and important sire Roberto and 5x5x5 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector. He is the only named foal produced to date from Mongolian Changa, a daughter of 2011 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) winner Brilliant Speed (by Dynaformer). She is out of the Unbridled mare Bridled, whose dam Holy Niner (by Holy Bull) is a winning half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner High Yield (by Storm Cat). Holy Niner is also a half sister to Scoop of Gold (by Giant’s Causeway), dam of Grade 3 winner Medea (by Danehill Dancer).
Holy Niner and her siblings were produced from stakes winner Scoop the Gold (by Forty Niner), whose half sister Forest Flower (by Green Forest) was the English champion 2-year-old filly of 1986 and the winner of the 1987 Goffs Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1). The next dam in Medina Spirit’s tail-female line, multiple Group 3 winner Leap Lively (by Nijinsky II), is also the dam of All Hallows (by Halo), dam of multiple listed stakes winner Halo River (by Irish River) and the second dam of 2015 Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse and of Grade 3 winner and four-time Canadian champion sire Old Forester.
Books and media
Santa Anita Park’s footage of Medina Spirit’s win in the 2021 Awesome Again Stakes can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtMegrnHofY.
Fun facts
- Medina Spirit first drew attention to himself by outworking much more expensive colts in Baffert’s stable. As Baffert later said of him, “He’s like Silver Charm; he doesn’t know how much he cost.”
- After legal battles lasting over two years, Baffert and Zadat finally withdrew their last appeal of Medina Spirit's disqualification on January 22, 2024. Had Medina Spirit retained his win in the Kentucky Derby, he would have made history as the seventh Kentucky Derby winner for Bob Baffert, surpassing the long-standing record of six wins by a trainer set by the legendary Ben Jones. Baffert’s previous winners were Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018), and Authentic (2020). All but Authentic also won the Preakness Stakes, and American Pharoah and Justify both won the American Triple Crown.
- Medina Spirit was the third horse to be disqualified from a win in the Kentucky Derby, following Dancer's Image in 1968 and Maximum Security in 2019.
- Medina Spirit was the first black-type stakes winner for both his sire and his dam.
- Medina, an ancient oasis and city in Saudi Arabia (where owner Amr Zadat’s family’s business is based), is one of the holy cities of Islam.
Last updated: January 22, 2024