On Monday, Medina Spirit, a colt who won the Kentucky Derby, but failed a post-race drug test, died of a heart attack. Thoroughbred Daily News was the first to report the incident. Dr. Jeff Blea, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board said that the colt had not felt right after working five furlongs at the Santa Anita Park that morning and he went down. The “vet on the scene got there immediately and he was already expired.” Trainer Bob Baffert was devastated by the colt’s death, according to a report in The New York Times.
In a statement released by his lawyer, W. Craig Robertson III, trainer Baffert said that “Medina Spirit was a great champion” and that he was like a family member and was loved by all and that they were deeply mourning his loss. He added that he would always cherish the “proud and personal memories of Medina Spirit and his tremendous spirit.”
Amr Zedan of Saudi Arabia, the owner of Medina Spirit told TDN that Medina Spirit didn’t suffer. He added that the colt gave them the ride of their lives and “brought everyone together.” He said that Bob, his team, their jockey Johnny and he were “mourning this loss” and that they were “all very sad.”
Earlier, Attorney Clark Brewster said that he had spoken to both Zedan and Baffert on Monday morning. He said that they were wrecked with grief and it was “truly tragic.” He said that Bob said that the colt was training great and was moving easily and “when he finished up he just collapsed” at the race track in Southern California.
After winning the Kentucky Derby, Baffert had announced that Medina Spirit had been found to have a banned substance, the drug betamethasone, in a post-race test, in May. He was banned from racing in the Belmont Stakes. His trainer Baffert was banned for two years by Churchill Downs. Baffert has been a seven-time Kentucky Derby winner.
Baffert had denied that he or anyone else had given the drug to the colt. Later, he said that Medina Spirit had a rash on his hind end. The ointment that had been used to treat the dermatitis on the colt had betamethasone as one of its ingredients.
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