Left to run by himself at the front of the pack in May, Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby. Left to run by himself at the front of the pack Saturday afternoon, Medina Spirit won again, this time earning a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
With John Velázquez hustling to an early lead and then moderating the pace as he did five months ago at Churchill Downs, Medina Spirit (6-5) had plenty left at the end for a lopsided five-length victory in the Grade 1, US$300,000 Awesome Again Stakes on a parched, fast track at Santa Anita.
The fractions of 23.34, 47.72, 1:11.76 and 1:37.05 were made to order for trainer Bob Baffert. Owned by Amr Zedan, Medina Spirit’s winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.67.
“I keep saying and I probably sound like a broken record, but this guy, he has a ton of heart,” said Velázquez, who has ridden Medina Spirit in his last six starts. “He’s very competitive and when the horses come to him, he gives you everything he can. That’s all you can ask of a horse."
Stilleto Boy (50-1) went from mid-pack to finish second. Express Train (6-1) closed to finish third. Tripoli (5-2) made a strong run in the second half of the race to come in fourth.
“I’m happy for Zedan and what we have had to deal with,” Baffert said. “We stayed focused on the horses. The fans came out to see this horse and they are rooting for him. I could tell by the crowd noise. They are all pulling for him. It’s an emotional win for us. Johnny V. can do whatever with the horse. He can wait, stalk, whatever. his horse keeps getting better and better.”
Medina Spirit, a 3-year-old Protonico colt, has won 3 of 4 races since he was a beaten favorite in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Although his Kentucky Derby triumph is in dispute – and in court – because of a failed drug test, Medina Spirit has led at every call in the two races since he finished third in the Preakness. He won the Shared Belief Stakes on Aug. 29 at Del Mar before his one-sided victory Saturday.
“He’s not very big, he’s not very beautiful, but obviously, he’s all heart and you can’t ask for anything else," Velazquez said. "The way he ran today, that was impressive. Maybe they will give him the credit he deserves now.”
