The roar of even the smaller crowd of 51,838 beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs sounded louder than ever, after the global pandemic forced the delayed 2020 edition to be held without spectators on Sept. 5. Returning to it's rightful place on the first Saturday in May, the end result was the same: Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and John Velazquez teamed up to win the Run for the Roses.
Last year it was with Authentic, eventual Horse of the Year, tying Baffert with “Plain” Ben Jones for the most Kentucky Derby winners all time with six.
In this 147th edition, the horse was the bargain buy Medina Spirit ($26.20), owned by Derby first-timer Amr bin Fareer bin Mohammed bin Zedan. The son of Protonico cost just $1,000 as a yearling, and Zedan purchased him for $35,000 as a 2-year-old.
Medina Spirit grabbed the lead at the start from post position eight, set all the fractions, and fended off challenges from Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and the favored, previously undefeated champion Essential Quality through the length of the stretch to win by about a half-length. He ran 1 1/4 miles over Churchill Downs' fast main track in 2:01.02.
“That little horse has got a heart,” Baffert said. “(Velazquez) told me last night, 'Don't underestimate this horse, he's better than you think, Bob. Don't worry, we'll get the job done.'”
The victory was worth $1,860,000 and increased Medina Spirit's earnings to $2,175,200 with a record of 6-3-3-0. Velazquez has won four editions (Animal Kingdom (2011), Always Dreaming (2017), and Authentic, 2020), one shy of the record, and also captured this year's Kentucky Oaks with the Todd Pletcher-trained Malathaat. He is the eighth rider to win the Oaks and Derby in the same year, following most recently Calvin Borel in 2009.
Baffert has now saddled seven winners of the Kentucky Derby (Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2015), Triple Crown winner Justify (2018), and Authentic (2020)), more than any other trainer in history.
Baffert has also come under scrutiny over the past year with a spate of medication violations – two at Oaklawn Park that involved champion Gamine (who won the G1 Derby City Distaff earlier on the Kentucky Derby card) and G1 Arkansas Derby winner Charlatan, a second violation involving Gamine in the G1 Kentucky Oaks and a fourth violation at Del Mar with a filly named Merneith. The California Horse Racing Board also reviewed whether or not Triple Crown winner Justify should have been disqualified from the G1 Santa Anita Derby in 2018 after testing above the limit for scopolamine. The regulatory board opted not to disqualify Justify or charge Baffert with a violation.
Medina Spirit was bred in Florida by Gail Rice, mother of Eclipse Award finalist Taylor Rice (apprentice jockey) and mother-in-law to top jockey Jose Ortiz, out of the Brilliant Speed mare Mongolian Changa. The mare failed to produce milk when Medina Spirit was first born, and Rice had to turn to her only other broodmare, Scribbling Sarah, for assistance. The young Medina Spirit thrived, and his own mom started producing milk several hours later.
Unfortunately, Rice's divorce forced the sale of Medina Spirit as a yearling. He brought the bottom-dollar bid of $1,000 at the OBS Winter Mixed sale in early 2019, and she had no choice but to let him go.
“I kept telling people, 'This horse can run!'” Rice said. “Just his body and his leg, and the intelligent attitude he had; I always thought he was special.”
As it so happens, “Sarah” became the dam of Grade 1 Ashland winner Speech in 2020 (delayed to July due to the pandemic). Medina Spirit won the G3 Bob Lewis Stakes in late January of 2021.
“It's just crazy to think about,” Rice told the Paulick Report earlier this year. “I haven't had many broodmares in my whole career, only ever one or two at a time, just playing around. And to have this happen in back-to-back years? It's crazy.”
Gail Rice, breeder of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit
Bloodstock agent Gary Young saw the 2-year-old Medina Spirit at the 2020 OBS July sale, and recommended the purchase to Zedan. The owner, who has been in racing for just five years, is a Los Angeles native, Saudi Arabian businessman, philanthropist, and an international polo player.
The small, nearly black colt broke his maiden at first asking at Los Alamitos in December, and was just three-quarters of a length behind his highly-touted stablemate Life Is Good in the G3 Sham Stakes Jan. 2 at Santa Anita.
Next out, Medina Spirit won the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in an absolute dog fight over Roman Centurian and Hot Rod Charlie. Soundly defeated by Life Is Good in the G2 San Felipe, Baffert decided to perform a minor throat surgery on Medina Spirit, helping the colt to breathe a bit better.
Medina Spirit returned in the G1 Santa Anita Derby to run second to turf-to-dirt winner Rock Your World, after racing off the lead. Velazquez decided to change his tactics for the Kentucky Derby.
“We talked about it over and over,” Velazquez said. “He's all heart. Let's put him in the game and let him fight the whole way around.”
Essential Quality and Rock Your World slammed into one another at the start of the race, taking both out of their element and leaving them near the rear of the field racing toward the clubhouse turn. Meanwhile, Velazquez sent Medina Spirit straight to the lead, tracked by Soup and Sandwich through an opening quarter in 23.09 seconds.
Mandaloun got a perfect inside trip in third position alongside Helium, while Hot Rod Charlie was forwardly-placed as well. Jockey Luis Saez guided juvenile champion Essential Quality forward to take up sixth on the far outside, as much as five paths off the rail down the backstretch.
Medina Spirit continued under a confident ride from Velazquez, ticking off fractions of 46.70 seconds and 1:11.21 for six furlongs, not overly fast for the classic distance. Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie were both taking closer aim as Medina Spirit led through the final turn, as was the 5-wide Essential Quality. Velazquez held Medina Spirit well off the inside fence as the pair turned for home in front.
Mandaloun got first run on Medina Spirit, and Hot Rod Charlie was alongside him. Essential Quality made his move as well, making it a four-wide rush across the track from the eighth pole.
Leading group from left to right: Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie (red shadow roll), Mandaloun (pink cap), Medina Spirit (red cap), and O Besos (slightly behind leading four) at the sixteenth pole in the 147th Kentucky Derby
Despite everything that was against him, from his bargain-basement purchase price to the atypically humble opinion expressed by his Hall of Fame trainer leading up to the race, Medina Spirit dug deep and delivered the garland of roses to his connections.
Mandaloun and Florent Geroux, rebounding off a flat sixth-place effort in the Louisiana Derby, were hardly disgraced in second, while Hot Rod Charlie fought all the way to the wire as well to finish third, beaten just a length. Essential Quality, who perhaps had the longest trip of the 19-horse field, was also beaten just a length by the winner in finishing fourth.
The full order of finish was as follows: Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, Essential Quality, O Besos, Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind, Helium, Known Agenda, Highly Motivated, Sainthood, Like The King, Bourbonic, Hidden Stash, Brooklyn Strong, Super Stock, Rock Your World, Dynamic One, and Soup and Sandwich.
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