My anonymous friend is looking into the story of Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit, and the latter's almost-certainly-untimely death.
And what my friend is finding is NOT pretty...
It turns out Medina Spirit died today after collapsing...
... at Santa Anita Racetrack.
He had been running most of his 3-year old career there, and was based out of there.
He was the first of his genetic line to cross the line first at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, but was disqualified for drug use.
While under threat of suspension in both New York and Kentucky, the horse was banned from the Preakness Stakes and finished third in the Belmont. A few weeks ago, Medina Spirit finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic main event.
And today a heart attack at Santa Anita.
So why does this get it's own post tonight?
A theory and a statistic:
Start with the statistic: Researchers have noted that Medina Spirit is the 20th horse to die at Santa Anita this year. Ten in training, ten in races.
Last year, February through December: 20.
December 2018-January 2020, which led to investigations and racing being halted at the track at least TWICE: 42...
Meaning that no less than EIGHTY-TWO horses have died at Santa Anita since the end of 2018.
Now the theory:
There are more than a few people (several posting to Democratic Underground) who believe Bob Baffert, especially after the DQ at the Derby basically ended any real hope this horse would gather much at breeding "stud" (Champion racehorses who survive their careers usually make a mint for their owners and trainers by having sex with as many fillies as they can to breed more champions. Medina Spirit was actually an anomaly -- nobody took him seriously until his owner literally bought him for $35,000 as a late two-year old and sent him to be trained by Baffert.) had no problem keeping Medina Spirit at Santa Anita, with the hopes that, when he expired, he would take the evidence with him of Baffert's drugging misconduct, for which there is still discussion regarding appeals of Baffert's suspensions in New York and in Kentucky.
The horse was born in Florida. He had one race for Baffert, late as a two-year old at Los Alamitos. There was NOTHING to indicate he would even qualify for the Derby, much less finish first.
It's clear, first, that the problems spanning Santa Anita Racetrack have not gone away. But the theories proposed indicate Baffert might well have decided a convenient "disposal" might aid his chances in surviving this controversy.
Stay tuned on this one -- and thank you to my anonymous friend for pointing me in this direction.
INVESTIGATION - NOW.
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