Why Bob Baffert is still suspended from the Kentucky Derby

It’s hard to imagine a Run for the Roses without Bob Baffert, but the horse trainer’s suspension will run through this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Baffert saw his suspension from Churchill Downs Inc. extended last summer through the end of the 2024 calendar year, which means he is not eligible to field a horse in this year’s events.

Per USA TODAY‘s Alexis Cubit, Churchill Downs Inc. lengthened Baffert’s suspension last summer for “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks.”

Our Blake Schuster explained why Baffert was initially suspended for one of his horses testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Shortly after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit tested positive for the banned steroid betamethasone. While Baffert initially denied ever administering the drug, a subsequent investigation revealed the substance was found in an ointment applied to the horse.

Following the confirmation of a positive drug test in June 2021, Baffert was banned from all Churchill Downs properties for two years— a punishment that [was set to] expire following the 2023 Spring Meet. The trainer was also hit with a 90-day suspension, which precluded him from entering any of the Triple Crown races in 2022.

Medina Spirit later died in 2021 following a workout in California.

After that 2023 Spring Meet last summer was when Churchill Downs Inc. decided to extend Baffert’s suspension through the end of 2024.

Until the organization deems that Baffert has amended his practices to ethically field horses in the race, it’s always possible his extension could go past this year.