Kentucky Derby 2025: How did Bob Baffert's horse do?

USA Today

04-05-2025

Kentucky Derby 2025: How did Bob Baffert's horse do?
Bob Baffert will have to wait at least another year before he can claim a seventh Kentucky Derby and officially crown himself the King of Churchill Downs.
In Saturday's 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, Baffert's entry Citizen Bull set the pace early off the rail but ran out of gas late to finish a disappointing 15th.
Baffert returned to Churchill Downs for the first time since 2021. That was the year he thought he had captured a record-setting seventh Kentucky Derby victory with Medina Spirit, only for a post-race test to show a banned substance that resulted in the horse's disqualification.
The infamous trainer was banned from the sport's most famous track for three years before he was allowed to return in 2025 with entries Citizen Bull and Rodriguez — the latter of which was scratched earlier in the week.
Per USA Today:
The horse tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone in a post-race drug test, becoming the highest-profile horse doping case within the sport. It was also not the first failed drug test involving a Baffert-trained horse for various reasons. Medina Spirit's violation was later confirmed after a second positive test.
Medina Spirit was disqualified and Churchill Downs, Incorporated handed Baffert a two-year suspension. It was just the second winner in the Kentucky Derby's history to be tarnished by a drug-related disqualification.
Baffert vehemently denied he gave Medina Spirit the steroid and alleged contamination or tampering. He filed an appeal with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and a lawsuit against Churchill Downs in February 2022 hoping to overturn the suspension. But Churchill Downs officials ultimately extended Baffert's suspension because of his continued efforts to discredit the positive test.
That all made for an awkward return with Baffert audibly booed during the livestream of last Saturday's post position draw.
Churchill Downs avoided an even more awkward moment with Baffert in the Winner's Circle. At least, for now.