correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly said Medina Spirit was the 72nd equine fatality at five California tracks this year. He was the 71st. This article has been corrected.
Medina Spirit, the plucky colt with modest roots who went from afterthought to first-place finisher in the controversial 2021 Kentucky Derby, died suddenly Monday after a workout at California’s Santa Anita racetrack. The smallish Florida-bred 3-year-old had won at Churchill Downs on May 1 before failing a drug test that led to a suspension of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
