The horse collapsed after training in Santa Anita, California. A heart attack is suspected. After that disputed victory, Donald Trump said: “He too is a drug addict, this is emblematic of how the country is doing”
First the yellow, then the accusations of Donald Trump, finally the death. The horse Medina Spirit – whose victory in the last Kentucky Derby on May 1st was overshadowed by a doping control that detected the presence of steroids and made the former US president say, “Even he’s on drugs. This is emblematic of what is happening in our country ”- he died suddenly on Monday 6 December at the end of a training session in Santa Anita, California.
As reported by the California Horse Racing Board, “Medina Spirit, 3, trained by Bob Baffert, had just finished a training session on the main Santa Anita track when he collapsed near the finish line. He died immediately. ‘ The first hypotheses speak of a heart attack. Jeff Blea, CHRB director, added that the horse’s blood, fur, and urine will be analyzed to determine the cause of death: “We will take a close look at the heart to try to identify the cause of death.”
Medina Spirit’s victory at the Kentucky Derby was questioned after the horse tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid that is banned from use within 14 days of competition.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is still investigating the case, while Churchill Downs, the organizer of the famous event, has issued a two-year suspension to coach Baffert, who has denied any wrongdoing. Baffert, who rode his horses in 2015 and 2018 to the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes), said the steroid was contained in an ointment used to treat a skin problem that Medina Spirit suffered from. In a tweet, he said he was destroyed by what happened: “Medina Spirit was a great champion and one of the families in our team.”
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
