Medina Spirit shows he belongs in BC Classic with Awesome Again victory

ARCADIA, Calif. – He’s a little horse with a big heart and a large cloud hanging over his Kentucky Derby victory, but Medina Spirit has shown in races this summer and fall that he’s a quality colt, among the best of a very good class of 3-year-olds.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, in his first start against older horses, Medina Spirit romped by five lengths in the Grade 1, $301,500 Awesome Again, earning a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic in five weeks at Del Mar, where five weeks ago he won the Shared Belief in his first start since the Preakness.

“We know he likes it here, and at Del Mar,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert, who gave both Medina Spirit and then jockey John Velazquez emotional bearhugs before Medina Spirit was brought into the winner’s circle. “Beat some good horses. I’m pretty proud of him.

“It’s emotional for all of us involved,” said Baffert, who trains Medina Spirit for Amr Zedan’s Zedan Racing Stables. “Happy for the owner, Mr. Zedan, with what we’ve had to deal with.

“Just focusing on the horses, and letting the other stuff play itself out,” he said, referring to possible penalties for Medina Spirit testing positive in the Derby for a medication that is legal to use but prohibited on race day.

In the Awesome Again, Medina Spirit made the top under Velazquez, turned back early pressure from Tizamagician, began to widen heading into the lane, and poured it on down the stretch. He covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.67 over a fast but dull surface that has been beneficial to forwardly placed horses the first two days of the meet. The time was good for a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, a career best for Medina Spirit, whose previous top was the 102 he earned for the Kentuky Derby.

Medina Spirit ($4.60) was favored, and the only other 3-year-old in the race, 54-1 shot Stilleto Boy, ran on for second, two lengths better than Express Train. Tripoli was fourth after a wide trip and was followed, in order, by Tizamagician, Idol, Azul Coast, and Midcourt.

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Medina Spirit, by Protonico, has now won 5 of 9 starts – at the moment including the Derby – with his earnings topping $2.5 million. This might have been his best race yet, and he’ll need to be better still in five weeks in the Classic when facing fellow top-class 3-year-olds Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie, and serious front-end speed in the top older horse Knicks Go.

The Classic is at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Derby.

“He’s just getting better and better,” Baffert said.