PREAKNESS PROFILE: MEDINA SPIRIT
Gary Quill- May 14, 2021
Though trainer Bob Baffert is the winningest Kentucky Derby trainer of all time, Medina Spirit, his most recent winner, was a longshot, going off at 12-1 when he scored May 1 — a win since tarnished after he tested positive for betamethasone.
Baffert has six Preakness victories in his career, including a gaudy 5-for-6 register with horses who won the Kentucky Derby first. Jockey John Velazquez, who has won just about every important race in his Hall of Fame career, is 0-for-10 in the Preakness.
3. MEDINA SPIRIT (9-5)
- TRAINER: BOB BAFFERT
- JOCKEY: JOHN VELAZQUEZ
- LIFETIME RECORD: 6-3-3-0
- MOST RECENT RACE: 1ST, GRADE I KENTUCKY DERBY
GQ SAYS…
The lone three-year-old who can capture horse racing Triple Crown by virtue of his gate-to-wire victory in the Run for the Roses. After a clean break from the #8 post, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez hustled him to the early lead with nothing between him and the rail, sitting chilly on an uncontested lead until the second turn when a trio of rivals challenged him for that lead, but was game throughout the stretch, refusing to surrender the lead and prevailed by a half- length. Never worse than second from six (6) career starts, all three (3) victories came when he never saw another runner’s rear-end. Is that possible in the Preakness with a few rivals who might be quicker out of the gate?
- Great Notion colt takes top honors at MHBA Yearling ShowA Great Notion colt took the top spot and the Merryman family dominated at Sunday’s 91st annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show.
| Medina Spirit (FL) / T: Bob Baffert |
| O: Zedan Racing Stables Inc. |
| 05/01/2021 1 — Kentucky Derby (CD) |
| 04/03/2021 2 — Santa Anita Derby (SA) |
| 03/06/2021 2 — San Felipe S. (SA) |
| 01/30/2021 1 — Robert B. Lewis S. (SA) |
| 01/02/2021 2 — Sham S. (SA) |
- De Francis Dash “a lasting tribute”Joe De Francis sought to create a race that would be a “lasting tribute” to his father. But he’s not sure he likes it being called historic.
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