Baffert is back. Churchill Downs puts end to Hall of Fame trainer’s three-year suspension.
Churchill Downs took three paragraphs to end three years of misery for Bob Baffert.
The Hall of Fame trainer, suspended from racing his horses at all Churchill Downs-owned properties since 2021, is once again allowed on the grounds, effective immediately.
Churchill Downs, home of horse racing’s crown jewel, the Kentucky Derby, made its announcement in a three-paragraph news release late Friday afternoon.
“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,” the release from Churchill CEO Bill Carstanjen said. “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.”
Baffert was initially suspended for two years in 2021 after he won his record seventh Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit. Days after the race, Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test and was disqualified, leaving Baffert stuck on six wins in the Run for the Roses, and tied for the all-time lead with Ben Jones.
Now that his suspension has been lifted, the 71-year-old Baffert’s next chance to break the tie with Jones will come May 3, 2025, at the 151st running of the iconic race. Churchill Downs’ 2024 Spring Meet ended June 30. The track will host racing Sept. 12-29 and Oct. 27-Dec. 1, the first meets Baffert will have an opportunity to enter horses.
Churchill’s decision to rescind Baffert’s suspension Friday came after Baffert released the following statement earlier Friday:
“I accept responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive test in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. I am responsible for any substance found in the horses that I train, and I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification of Medina Spirit’s performance. I understand and appreciate that Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission took steps to enforce the rules that they believed were necessary to protect the safety and integrity of horse racing and the reputation of the Kentucky Derby. My family and I want to put this behind us and get back to doing what we love to do without anymore distraction or negativity. I very much look forward to returning to Churchill Downs and getting back to the Winner’s Circle.”
Medina Spirit won the 2021 Kentucky Derby by a half-length over Mandaloun but was disqualified after a postrace drug test revealed the presence of betamethasone, a substance banned on race days. Mandaloun is now recognized as the official winner.
Baffert initially was suspended from all Churchill Downs racetracks through the end of the 2023 Spring Meet. Last July, Churchill extended the suspension through 2024 based, in part, “on continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing (Baffert) poses to CDI-owned racetracks.”
Repeated attempts by Baffert and his legal team to rescind the suspension fell flat as Churchill sought some level of repentance from the trainer.
Baffert’s ban included not only Churchill Downs but Ellis Park in Henderson, Turfway Park in Florence, Colonial Downs in Virginia, Fair Grounds in Louisiana and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania.
Medina Spirit died Dec. 6, 2021, after a workout at Santa Anita Park racetrack in California. A necropsy did not produce a definitive cause of death.
Baffert, trainer of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify, made his return to Triple Crown racing in May 2023 and won the Preakness Stakes with National Treasure, the trainer’s record 17th Triple Crown win.
Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), War Emblem (2002), American Pharoah (2015), Justify (2018) and Authentic (2020).
Baffert was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2009.
This story was originally published July 19, 2024 at 5:20 PM.