Was that game, set and the Eclipse for Medina Spirit?

More than two months ago, before Medina Spirit’s return to the races and after his lengthy break from his mid-May Preakness third place finish, I wrote about, and speculated about, what it would take for Medina Spirit to jump back into the 3-year-old male Eclipse race. While I never felt he was out of the Eclipse race, many fans and media wrote off the embattled Kentucky Derby winner.

While Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie were busy battling in the Belmont and then starring in the traditional summer 3-year-old stakes after skipping the Preakness, Medina Spirit was back at his home base in California working steadily toward his return.

[Is Life Is Good the best of an excellent 3-year-old crop?]

With no other horses in the division truly separating themselves from the pack, it was time for Medina Spirit to get back to the races in late August. There was still time for the son of Protonico to jump back into the Eclipse race, but there was little margin for error. Still, there was a window, and he controlled his own destiny.

His chief rival for the coveted Eclipse is Essential Quality. With his Belmont win, Essential Quality won his first Grade 1 event of the season, matching Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby Grade 1 win. Essential Quality also won the Jim Dandy (G2) and the Travers (G1) during Medina Spirit’s hiatus. But then it was Essential Quality who took an extended leave from racing.

Medina Spirit started his second half of the season the day after Essential Quality’s Travers win. In winning the Shared Belief Stakes, Medina Spirit defeated more Grade 1 winners (one) than Essential Quality had in the Jim Dandy and Travers combined. Although the Shared Belief was a good start, Medina Spirit would need to add another Grade 1 to pull even with Essential Quality. For his next start, Medina Spirit faced older horses in the Awesome Again (G1) and romped by five lengths, running the second fastest race of anyone in in his division around two turns.

Then things got interesting. Medina Spirit now was in position to overtake Essential Quality for divisional leadership pending the outcome of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

There were two scenarios that would work in Medina Spirit’s favor. Win the Classic outright, which would give him a stranglehold on the Eclipse, or run well and defeat Essential Quality for the second time in as many races in 2021. The latter took place.

So this is where we stand in this 3-year-old male Eclipse race:

Essential Quality and Medina Spirit have two Grade 1 wins a piece. Medina Spirit faced and defeated proven Grade 1-winning older horses in one of his wins. Essential Quality did not face older until the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

For those who point to Medina Spirit sitting out the summer while Essential Quality ran three times since the Kentucky Derby, I could use that same argument when analyzing Essential Quality’s season. He sat out for more than two months after his Travers win, while Medina Spirit ran twice during that time prior to the Breeders’ Cup. Essential Quality’s connections had a chance to put this Eclipse race away by running one time in the nine weeks between the Travers and Breeders’ Cup Classic, but they chose not to. This left the door open.

Lastly, the head-to-head record. Medina Spirit defeated Essential Quality both times they ran against each other. He won the Kentucky Derby while Essential Quality finished fourth. Many will argue that Essential Quality’s trip in the Derby was the main reason he finished behind Medina Spirit, I disagree. Part of winning races includes making your own racing luck. Essential Quality had an entire long Churchill Downs stretch to pass Medina Spirit. He was unable to do so and finished fourth.

In the Breeders’ Cup Classic, it was Medina Spirit with the tougher trip. Racing wide throughout, he ran much farther than his rival but still defeated Essential Quality for the runner-up position by 3/4 of a length.

Many dismissed Medina Spirit prior to this Classic, and I can’t help but think part of that reason was their dislike of the connections. In other words, their judgment was clouded by their bias. Push those feelings aside now. This is about the horse, and this Eclipse debate ended when the horses crossed the wire in the Classic. I agree with John Velazquez, the jockey of Medina Spirit, who asked after the race, "Who’s the best 3-year-old now?"

Medina Spirit is very good. And one thing can’t be denied, he has a heart of gold. Sometimes horses prove more in defeat than they do in wins. Medina Spirit ran one of those races in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He didn't get the lead that almost everyone said he needed to have to run big, but he gave it his all and ran his career best race, defeating his tough 3-year-old rivals again.

Before anyone complains about me or anyone else giving Medina Spirit credit in a losing effort, isn't that what happened with Essential Quality after his losing effort in the Kentucky Derby? You can't have it both ways.

If Medina Spirit only knew the intense microscope he and his connections were under in the Classic. Put another way, think about the narrative that would have come out of the Classic had Medina Spirit run poorly and up the track. The Kentucky Derby controversy would have gotten much worse. Instead, Medina Spirt validated his Kentucky Derby run, quieting the many critics ready to jump on the horse and his connections had they failed miserably in the Classic.

Why would true racing fans openly root for that outcome?

Those same people should be thanking Medina Spirit for the race he ran in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He actually helped the sport immensely with his strong showing.

As a side note, while Essential Quality and some other 3-year-old stars are now off to the breeding shed, Medina Spirit will be around next year to run, so enjoy him while you can. He will point to the Saudi Cup and a full season stateside. Something tells me he will be one of the most popular horses in training next season.

Medina Spirit will get my Eclipse vote on the basis of what I wrote above, and I cannot envision a scenario where the voters – if they truly vote on the merits of the horses and not some agenda because of problems they have with the connections – don’t award him the Eclipse as champion 3-year-old male.