Neither Hall of Famer Bob Baffert nor any of the horses he trains will compete in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4.
Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) for two years in 2021 after first-place finisher Medina Spirit tested positive for a race day overage of a legal medication and was later disqualified.
The ban was extended for a third year by CDI. The owners of Churchill Downs also set a Jan. 29 deadline for a suspended trainer to transfer horses to another trainer to earn Derby qualifying points.
Baffert used the option the past two years, sending horses to former assistant Tim Yakteen, but not this time as owners of Baffert-trained 3-year-olds are standing behind the five-time Derby winner.
For those who want to see all the top 3-year-olds in the Derby, it won’t happen since Baffert currently trains a boatload — Nysos, Muth, Wynstock, Wine Me Up, and Coach Prime among them. Nonetheless, these horses will be running in many of the Derby preps (but ineligible for qualifying points).
“Nobody is going to transfer their horses. I just remain focused on training my horses and competing in the big races,” Baffert told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. “It is out of my hands. I just want what’s best for the game.”
Baffert nominated 18 horses to the Triple Crown races, and they are eligible to run in the other two Triple Crown races, the Preakness (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Currently, Baffert’s top 3-year-olds are Nysos, unbeaten in two starts and set to run in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita on Saturday, and Muth, winner of the American Pharoah (G1) and the San Vicente (G2). Muth is being pointed to the Rebel (G3) at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 24. Wynstock is entered in Saturday’s Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn. All are Derby point qualifiers.
Last week, Baffert announced that he was dropping all litigation against CDI, but the company responded by saying nothing would change.
Among the owners who are not moving horses to other trainers are Amr Zedan (Muth, Coach Prime), Mike Pegram, Jack Liebau and Dr. Edward Allred (Wynstock), Baoma Corp., and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.
Baffert may not be at the Derby, but he continues to win big races. Last week, his 2023 Preakness (G1) winner National Treasure won the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
