Medina Spirit necropsy will take around 2 months to complete

The post-mortem examination of Medina Spirit by the California Horse Racing Board will likely take at least two months to complete, the board said in a statement to Horse Racing Nation on Thursday.

"In the case of sudden deaths, with the toxicology and outsourcing of some samples for analysis, two months to conclude is a reasonable timeline," the CHRB said.

Additionally on Thursday, it was announced that samples of Medina Spirit’s hair, blood and heart tissue were en route to the University of Minnesota for analysis at its Equine Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, which studies sudden cardiac death and cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses.

“To buttress the necropsy, the researchers hope to determine whether Medina Spirit had specific genetic factors putting him at risk for sudden cardiac death,” the University of Minnesota said in a statement.

The samples from Medina Spirit sent to the university's College of Veterinary Medicine will also be incorporated into an ongoing research project to understand genetic and other risk factors for sudden cardiac death in racehorses.

Medina Spirit, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby for trainer Bob Baffert, died of a likely cardiac event on Monday at Santa Anita. The son of Protonico had just completed a five-furlong workout when he collapsed near the finish line. Santa Anita’s veterinary team immediately drew samples of Medina Spirit’s blood, hair and urine samples for further analysis by the CHRB into the cause of death.

“Medina Spirit’s death is devastating, and sadly, such deaths occur all too frequently,” said Dr. Molly McCue, a professor for the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine who has been studying genetic disease in horses for two decades. “Our hope is to find ways to pinpoint horses at risk so we can intervene before they lose their lives. In addition to helping equine athletes, this research may also provide answers for sudden cardiac death in young human athletes.”

The CHRB reported that in fiscal year 2020-21, “sudden deaths” accounted for approximately 15 percent of all catastrophic injuries at the state’s licensed training and racing facilities. All horses that die within a CHRB facility undergo a necropsy at one of the state’s diagnostic laboratories under the auspices of the University of California at Davis.

Also, in July 2020, the CHRB began a Postmortem Examination Review program of all fatalities in the state focused on education and prevention of catastrophic injuries. Trainer participation is mandatory in these reviews, which is conducted by an official CHRB veterinarian, a member of the board of stewards, a safety steward and CHRB equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea.

Owned by Zedan Racing, Medina Spirit compiled a record of 10: 5-4-1 and banked $3,545,200 during two years on the track.