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?
- Surgical Precision sharp in victoryThe word was out on first-time starter Surgical Precision, who ran to his 3-5 odds in winning his debut outing Sunday at Laurel Park.
| 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) |
- Barbadian Runner could add “cherry on top” in Miracle WoodBarbadian Runner gave trainer Henry Walters his first stakes win in over 20 years last month. He could make it two straight Saturday.
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