Medina Spirit went from an understudy to stablemate Life Is Good early in 2021, to a Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve winner, to a disputed Derby winner, to a horse who came back in the fall with two terrific performances against older horses, only to perish at the end of a workout on Dec. 6. The results of his necropsy aren’t yet known, but it would be sadly ironic if, as theorized, it was his heart that failed him, because his figurative heart was on display every time he took the track. Medina Spirit tenaciously chased Life Is Good in the Grade 3 Sham, bravely fought off rivals in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis, and most famously staved off his opponents in the Derby. Freshened following a third-place finish in the Preakness, he returned in the fall for three races, culminating with a second-place finish in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic behind the nation’s best older horse, and presumptive Horse of the Year, Knicks Go. He was a thoroughly admirable horse in terms of his grit and consistency. He raced nine times in 2021 after a debut win in his lone start at 2, and finished in the money every time. He won four races in 2021, all stakes, including the Shared Belief and the Grade 1 Awesome Again. In both the Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Medina Spirit finished in front of Essential Quality in their only two meetings against one another. But his legacy is still unknown. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to rule on whether Medina Spirit will remain the Derby winner. He tested positive post-race for a medication – which his connections said was an ingredient in a topical ointment used for a skin rash – that is legal to use, but not on race day, with the route of administration the focal point of the debate. At the moment, he is the winner, and thus the record-setting seventh Derby winner for his trainer, Bob Baffert. That may change, but that was the status at the time ballots were due Jan. 10. :: Full list of 2021 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories There was much to admire about Medina Spirit. The colt, by Protonico out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa, was bred in Florida by Gail Rice, who at the time of his birth owned just three mares, yet here she was producing a horse who won the Derby against Godolphin homebreds and all the rest. After selling for $1,000 as a yearling, Medina Spirit was purchased as a 2-year-old in training for $35,000 by bloodstock agent Gary Young on behalf of owner Amr Zedan. He went on to twice defeat the 2-year-old champion of 2020, won a pair of Grade 1 races, beat older horses, and, in what was his final start, was a fine second to the best horse in the country in 2021. And then he was gone, with the Derby result still uncertain. His is a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy.