Old Friends to Inter Ashes of Medina Spirit April 5
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Medina Spirit's gravesite with a temporary marker where a gravestone will go at Old Friends
Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., will inter the ashes of grade 1 winner Medina Spirit April 5.
The late son of Protonico will be laid to rest in Old Friends' Nikki Bacharach Memorial Garden alongside such champions as Kentucky Derby (G1) winners Charismatic (1999) and War Emblem (2002), as well as Eclipse Award champion Hidden Lake and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Alphabet Soup .
Old Friends will host an open house Tuesday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET, to offer fans an opportunity to visit the grave site and pay homage to Medina Spirit.
The farm will also pay tribute to friend and supporter Bob Neumeier, the acclaimed sports reporter and NBC racing analyst who passed away Oct. 23, 2021.
Old Friends announced in February that it would be Medina Spirit's final resting place. Campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables and trained by Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) but was disqualified in February of this year due to a post-race positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone, a Class C substance which is prohibited in Kentucky on race day.
Medina Spirit also captured the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) and Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) in his 3-year-old campaign in addition to earning placings in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), and RUNHAPPY Santa Anita Derby (G1). He died of a heart attack Dec. 6 after a workout at Santa Anita Park.