The long-awaited necropsy into the death of conditional Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit did not determine a cause of death but found no unexpected drugs or substances in the 3-year-old colt's body.
The inconclusive result is not unusual in horses who are classified as "sudden death." The cause of death of a horse that does not break down, or suffer a bone or joint fracture, can often be difficult to determine. About half the time they are able to conclusively determine what causes a sudden death in a horse. About a quarter of the time the cause is presumptive and a quarter of the time it is unknown. The Medina Spirit case falls into the last category.
However, some findings such as swollen lungs, foam in the windpipe, enlarged spleen and mild bleeding, "are compatible with, but not specific for a cardiac cause of death," according to a news release distributed by the California Horse Racing Board.
