Churchill Downs lifts suspension of trainer Bob Baffert following Medina Spirit’s failed drug test

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Churchill Downs has rescinded its extended suspension of Bob Baffert, allowing the Hall of Fame trainer to resume racing his horses at the historic track and partner facilities after more than three years of banishment for a failed drug test of ultimately disqualified 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.

The stunning announcement came Friday after Baffert issued a statement in which he took responsibility for now-deceased colt Medina Spirit’s failed drug test after crossing the finish line in the 147th Kentucky Derby in May 2021. Kentucky racing stewards disqualified Medina Spirit the following winter, and Churchill Downs elevated runner-up Mandaloun to Derby winner.

Churchill Downs said in a release that it was satisfied for Baffert taking responsibility while completing the penalty and committing to compliance.

“All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. 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,” Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said in the statement.

The two-time Triple Crown winning trainer frequently criticized the ban and had unsuccessfully sued Churchill Downs, which last year extended the ban to the end of 2024 for subsequent criticism. Medina Spirit’s owner, Zedan Racing Stables, had sued for the trainer’s discipline to end this spring in an effort to get his Baffert-trained Arkansas Derby winner Muth into the 150th Derby.

In accepting responsibility, the 71-year-old Baffert acknowledged that he had paid a “very steep price” with the suspension and disqualification while assuming responsibility for substances in any horses that he trains. He also said he appreciated that the track and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission enforcing the rules believed 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,” Baffert added. “I very much look forward to returning to Churchill Downs and getting back to the Winner’s Circle.”

The suspension ultimately denied Baffert a record-breaking seventh Kentucky Derby victory and tarnished the reputation of a trainer considered the face of horse racing.

More importantly, it left Baffert outside of the race he cherishes most, at the track where his former Barn 33 on the back side was a required stop for fellow horsemen, media and countless tourists. Not to mention, a fractured relationship between the sides.

Baffert’s absence was especially palpable at this year’s milestone 150th Derby -- an epic race that Mystik Dan won by a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a three-wide photo finish.

But while Churchill Downs’ ban denied Baffert from competing in horse racing’s marquee event, his horses were able to compete in other legs of the Triple Crown. His colt, National Treasure, won last year’s Preakness in Baltimore.

The announcement on Friday brought settlement and closure, opening the door for Baffert to again race his horses beneath the Twin Spires on racing’s biggest day on the first Saturday next May.

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