Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility near Georgetown, Ky., announced Feb. 25 that the farm has been chosen as the final resting place of multiple graded stakes winner Medina Spirit.
Medina Spirit's ashes will be interred in Old Friends's Nikki Bacharach Memorial Garden alongside such champions as Kentucky Derby (G1) winners Charismatic (1999) and War Emblem (2002), both of whom were retired to Old Friends following breeding careers, as well as Eclipse Award winners Hidden Lake and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Alphabet Soup.
Old Friends will host an open house 12:30-2:30 p.m. April 5 to offer fans an opportunity to visit the grave site and pay their respects. The farm is at 1841 Paynes Depot Road near Georgetown.
Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Zedan Racing Stables, Medina Spirit had a short but brilliant career on the track.
A win in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and a second-place finish in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) earned the dark bay son of Protonico a berth in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Despite being a longshot behind favorites Essential Quality and Rock Your World , Medina Spirit went wire-to-wire against his rivals. Unfortunately, the colt would later test positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone and be disqualified by Kentucky stewards Feb. 21. The ruling is being appealed.
After the Derby, Medina Spirit went on to win the Shared Belief Stakes and Awesome Again Stakes (G1) before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic to eventual Horse of the Year Knicks Go . The colt died Dec. 6 when he collapsed suddenly of an apparent heart attack following a work at Santa Anita Park. A necropsy on Medina Spirit did not identify any specific reason for his collapse, with the evaluation showing characteristics similar to pulmonary hemorrhage. The California Horse Racing Board did not find any potential rule violations in connection with the colt's death.
"The Zedan Racing family was deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our beloved Medina Spirit," said owner Amr Zedan. "He brought us great joy during his time, and we will forever cherish his spectacular win in the Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit truly had the heart of a champion, and it is very comforting to know that he will be laid to rest with many of racing's greats and the wonderful people at Old Friends Farm."
While many saw Medina Spirit as an overachiever who surprised the experts, trainer Bob Baffert and his wife, Jill, said he always behaved and trained like an elite athlete.
"He would not have agreed with that assessment," the Bafferts said. "He carried himself like the champion he was through all his days. From his first race to his last, he was a confident and competitive Thoroughbred who always gave his best. We were lucky and blessed to have known him. Medina Spirit was loved deeply by us and everyone at the barn. We grieve his loss, but take comfort knowing he will be buried among some of racing's all-time greats at Old Friends."
Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, said he was grateful to Zedan and the Bafferts for the "honor and privilege" of burying Medina Spirit's ashes at Old Friends.
"His gravestone, which will be a constant reminder of his spectacular achievements, will be placed next to Charismatic and War Emblem in the Nikki Bacharach Memorial Garden where his legion of fans can pay their respect," Blowen said.
