Why was Bob Baffert suspended from Churchill Downs? What to know of trainer

As the Kentucky Derby runs for the 151st time at Churchill Downs on Saturday, the biggest storyline for this year’s Run for the Roses doesn’t involve one of the 20 horses in its field.

Instead, it is the return of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert, who has trained two Triple Crown winners in his career, is making his highly anticipated return to Churchill Downs after serving his three-year suspension by Churchill Downs Incorporated after Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test following winning the 147th Derby.

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Medina Spirit later died of a heart attack after a workout in December 2021.

In Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby, Baffert will now have just one horse running in it, as Rodriguez was scratched from now 19-horse field on Thursday.

Here’s what you need to know on why Baffert was suspended from the hallowed grounds of the Kentucky Derby:

Why was Bob Baffert suspended from Churchill Downs?

Baffert was suspended for three years from Churchill Downs for his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, testing positive for corticosteroid betamethasone in a post-race drug test. As noted by USA TODAY, betamethasone is not considered a performance-enhancing drug, but the state of Kentucky has a law that states it should not be used with a horse 14 days or more before a race.

Medina Spirit, however, wasn’t the first horse that Baffert trained that failed a drug test at the time. In fact, it was his fifth horse to fail a drug test in 12 months, and his 31st horse to test positive overall.

Churchill Downs issued Baffert’s suspension on June 2, 2021, and originally had it set at a two-year sentence. Then, an additional year was added to Baffert’s suspension on July 3, 2023, after the Hall of Fame trainer failed at his 2022 lawsuit attempt. An additional year was added by Churchill Downs because Baffert continued to “peddle a false narrative” on Medina Spirit’s drug test results.

Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby title was posthumously stripped in February 2022. Two years after the title was revoked and six months after the added-on year of his suspension, Baffert dropped his lawsuit on Jan. 22, 2024.

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Baffert then took full responsibility in July 2024, which was shortly followed by Churchill Downs Incorporated dropping Baffert’s suspension and putting an end to one of the biggest and most divisive controversies in horse racing history.

“We are satisfied that Mr. Baffert has taken responsibility for his actions, completed a substantial penalty and is committed to running in full compliance with the rules and regulations going forward,” Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a statement in 2024. “All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. Mr. Baffert is welcome to return to any of CDI’s racetracks, including our flagship Churchill Downs Racetrack, and we wish him and his connections good luck in their future competitive endeavors.”

This week at Churchill Downs, Baffert said it is a “big secret” on how the two were able to come together and make their amends.

“That’s a big secret. That’s a big secret,” Baffert said.

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Bob Baffert on return to Churchill Downs

Talking with reporters at Churchill Downs on Friday, April 25, Baffert said “it’s nice” to be back at horse racing’s hallowed grounds.

“It feels great. I came back here in November and it was nice. Coming into the stable gate, everyone was nice to me and welcomed me back. It’s like I never left, so I feel great,” Baffert said.

He added: “This is like The Masters.”

Bob Baffert horses in Kentucky Derby 2025

Citizen Bull is the lone Baffert-trained horse running in the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, after Rodriguez was scratched on Thursday.

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Bob Baffert history at Kentucky Derby

Baffert has trained six Kentucky Derby-winning horses in his Hall of Fame career, which ties him for the most wins in the race’s history with Ben Jones. His first Kentucky Derby win came in 1997 with Silver Charm, and his last came in 2020 with Authentic.

Here’s a list of the horses Baffert has trained that went on to win the Kentucky Derby, including two Triple Crown winners in American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018):

• 1997: Silver Charm

• 1998: Real Quiet

• 2002: War Emblem

• 2015: American Pharoah

• 2018: Justify

• 2020: Authentic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Baffert Kentucky Derby suspension, explained: What to know