Right now, every horse racing fan knows that Bob Baffert is on the hunt for his seventh Kentucky Derby title. Yeah, that’s the one that got taken away after Media Spirit was disqualified for testing positive for betamethasone. While the ban was in place, the trainer made a few appeals, which ended up extending his suspension to 2024. Eventually, he came around and took responsibility for what he did back in 2021.
Also, Baffert was really looking forward to his return to Churchill Downs, saying, “My family and I want to put this behind us… I very much look forward to returning to Churchill Downs and getting back to the Winner’s Circle.” Looks like he’s back! Bob Baffert has been seen at Churchill Downs, following his horses, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. Guess what? There’s a twist!
What’s that all about? It seems like people had a tough time recognizing the Hall of Fame horse trainer after being away from the racetrack for so long. Journalist Eric Crawford wrote on X: “Bob Baffert has arrived at Churchill Downs. Saw assistant Jimmy Barnes coming off the track, said ‘They wouldn’t let me in. I gave them your name!’ (He was joking, for the record.)”
Anyone trying to access the track must first show their identification. Oh, well. Seems like the folks at Churchill Downs didn’t recognize Baffert. The 72-year-old trainer had to call on his long-time assistant, Jimmy Barnes, to gain access to the racecourse. However, the trainer was just joking around the whole time, and nothing serious really happened between him and the others at the track.
Bob Baffert has arrived at Churchill Downs. Saw assistant Jimmy Barnes coming off the track, said “They wouldn’t let me in. I gave them your name!” (He was joking, for the record.) pic.twitter.com/n65zPvLMP0
— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) April 25, 2025
It looks like Baffert is still managing to keep his sense of humor, even with all the pressure around him. Yeah, those prep races were pretty tough for him. Weren’t they? Did you hear that one of the co-owners of his two horses has shared some good news about the colts ahead of the Grade 1 race?
Something that Bob Baffert would’ve loved to hear
Tom Ryan really connects with his horses, and as a co-owner of Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, he happily shared his thoughts on the colts. He had a different take on the two colts, but you know what? All of his thoughts were pretty positive.
“He’s training fantastic. He shipped in yesterday and went to the track this morning. He seems to be taking it all in stride. His last work was right on point, and he’ll have another piece of work over the track this weekend. He’s a good-minded horse, and he’s quite straightforward. He handled the ship to New York, so he had that under his belt. He’s taken the ship to Kentucky just fine, so we’re excited,” Ryan said about Rodriguez.
The colt has really stepped up as a strong contender for the Kentucky Derby, especially after snagging 100 points from his win at the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes on April 5. So, the horse also took part in a workout after the race at Santa Anita, where he clocked in at 1:00.40 for a 5F run. Pretty impressive, right? Ryan is definitely looking forward to seeing him run at Churchill Downs!
In a similar vein, the co-owner shared his thoughts on Citizen Bull, saying, “Citizen Bull had a good work with J.J. Hernandez and he went through his paces well. He’s ready, and we’re excited about him, too. His last race was important, but this next one it the target. He ships tomorrow.” Even though Citizen Bull didn’t quite meet expectations at the Santa Anita Derby, Ryan is really looking forward to seeing the colt run at Churchill Downs in just a few days. With those perfect workouts he had, the co-owner feels really confident about this horse.
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