Uncertain future
Six things to know about death of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit
Horse racing once again found itself with unwelcome news when Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit died after a workout at Santa Anita on Monday morning. The 3-year-old colt was finishing a five-furlong workout when he slowed, staggered and then laid down just past the finish line. The incident was very consistent with a cardiovascular event, most commonly known as a heart attack.
Medina Spirit has been at the center of a swirling controversy in the industry after he tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day, after winning the Derby. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to hold a hearing against the horse and his trainer, Bob Baffert. It could lead to stripping the horse of the Kentucky Derby win and Baffert being fined and suspended.
As everyone tries to make sense of what happened, here are six things to think about as the situation unfolds.
Did Medina Spirit have an unfair Kentucky Derby advantage?
Probably not. The drug he tested positive for is an anti-inflammatory that is usually injected into a horse’s joints to ease stiffness and pain. The rules in Kentucky say a horse must be withdrawn from the medication 14 days before it runs. But in this case, Baffert and his attorneys say the medication was in an ointment that was being administered to the horse’s hind end for a rash. When the KHRC decides to file a complaint against Baffert, the outcome will probably rest on the difference between betamethasone acetate and betamethasone valerate. The trainer’s attorneys contend that they have proof that the horse only had valerate, which is found in ointments but not injections, in his system. They will claim the rule only applies to acetate. But a trainer is responsible for every aspect of a horse’s care, including medications, regardless of intent or mistakes. You can make a case either way as to how this will turn out.
Is it unusual for horses to die of heart attacks?
No more than it is people dying of heart attacks after exercise. The controversy around horse racing deaths has been squarely pointed at muscular-skeletal deaths, more commonly known as breakdowns. The horse is actually a poorly constructed animal. If it needs surgery, it can’t be immobile for very long or it could suffer internal problems. If a leg has a problem that would result in them favoring other limbs, they can get a painful disease known as laminitis. The list goes on. Advancements in medicine have made a horse’s chance of survival greater after injury, but sometimes euthanasia is the best choice. A heart attack can just happen with no warning. Jeff Blea, equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board, said it is discussing the idea of equipping on-track veterinarians with a defibrillator. He says more study is needed.
son and a half as Oakland's bench coach before a leave of absence in 2017. He returned as quality-control coach from 2018-20 and served as third base coach in 2021, also positioning the A's infield and helping to coordinate their defensive shifts.
Kotsay, 46, interviewed for managerial openings with the Giants and Pirates after the 2019 season and with Detroit last offseason. Quatraro, whose A's interview was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times, was also a candidate for all three of those openings.
Quatraro, 48, spent the last three seasons as the Rays' bench coach and was their third-base coach in 2018 after four seasons as Cleveland's assistant hitting coach. He previously worked in Tampa Bay's system as a minor-league coach, manager and roving instructor. The Mets have also received permission to interview Quatraro for their manager job this week, the Times reported.
Venable, 39, has Bay Area ties. The son of former Giants outfielder Max, Venable — who was also an MLB outfielder — was born in Greenbrae and attended San Rafael High School, then Princeton, before a nine-year major-league playing career. He joined the Cubs' front office as a special assistant to then-president Theo Epstein in 2017 and served as their first base (2018-19) and third base (2020) coach before being hired by Boston.
Both Bush and Jensen are long-time members of the A's organization. Bush joined the A's as a Single-a hitting coach from 2005-06, then managed for six seasons in their minor-league system. He joined the major-league staff as bullpen coach before the 2013 season and has spent the last seven seasons as hitting coach.
Jensen, a catcher for seven seasons who debuted with the Giants, joined Oakland's system in 2007 and served as hitting coach and manager for their Arizona Rookie League affiliate, then as a roving minor-league hitting instructor. He was named the A's assistant hitting/catching coach after the 2014 season and bullpen coach after the 2017 season.
Another potential inhouse candidate, bench coach Ryan Christenson, is reportedly set to leave to join Melvin's staff with the Padres.
Espada has spent the last four seasons as Houston's bench coach and three seasons before that as the Yankees' third base coach. As a player, Espada was drafted by the A's in the second round in 1996 and spent five seasons in their minorleague system.
The A's still do not have a timeline to make a hire.