Contending steed prepared by Hall of Famer Baffert dropped from Kentucky Derby before his return to Churchill Downs
Raw and Gritty: Bob Baffert’s Back in the Saddle at the 151st Kentucky Derby
Trainer Bob Baffert, known for stirring up controversy and breaking records, is ready to rock the horse racing world once more as he returns to Churchill Downs, the stage of the Kentucky Derby, after a three-year absence.
The stampede for the 151st edition of the bluegrass classic will have reduced to 19 riders by race day, with two steeds being scratched due to potential issues. One of these nags, a colt named Rodriguez, was trained under Baffert’s watchful eye.
Rodriguez, the victor of the Wood Memorial, was handed the pink slip on Thursday, as he was discovered to have a bruised foot. This setback means he'll miss out on the Derby and aim for the silver in the Preakness Stakes on May 17 instead.
"Out of an unyielding sense of caution, we've gotta cut our losses with ours Derby horse, Rodriguez," Tom Ryan of Starlight Racing, one of the colt's multiple owners, confirmed in a statement on X. "He's got a minor but sensitive foot bruise that needs a few extra days to heal. Consequently, we're revising our strategies, and our sights are set on the Preakness."
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Two-time Derby contender Bob Baffert will be gunning for the tape with not just one, but two horses in the race on Saturday. His pursuit of a record-breaking seventh Kentucky Derby win – a record he briefly held in 2021 – will rest on the shoulders of Citizen Bull, a spry two-year-old colt, who drew the unlucky No. 1 post position for the race.
Baffert’s other contender, Baeza, entered the 20-horse field in the void left by Rodriguez, but the field took another hit on Friday when Grande was scratched due to a cracked heel.
Baffert will be making his comeback to the Derby following a ban, imposed after Medina Spirit was disqualified from the 2021 race due to a positive drug test. The three-year ban left a bitter taste, but Baffert maintains that this was never about denying a positive test result but rather fighting for justice for Medina Spirit, who he believes deserved that win.
Amidst the ongoing furore, “It was an honest blunder,” Baffert commented in a sit-down interview with "Fox & Friends" on Friday morning. “The testing levels are so low now… it was being used in an ointment, and we didn’t realize until about 48 hours later that it was being administered to humans – he had an atrocious skin rash. We were battling for the horse the whole time.”
Credit: The Associated Press
Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for our Website Digital.
[1] Accessed May 1, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bafferthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Derby
In the world of horse racing, Bob Baffert, contender of the Kentucky Derby since 2025, will field not one but two horses in the race - Citizen Bull and Baeza. Following the retirement of Rodriguez due to a foot injury, Baeza steps into the spotlight, yet another controversy surrounding Baffert's return to Churchill Downs seems to be unfolding, as a thorough investigation regarding the positive drug test of his 2021 contender Medina Spirit continues. Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Baffert remains steadfast, insisting on the horse's innocence and fights for justice in the face of adversity.
