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Bob Baffert Returns to Kentucky Derby: Controversy and Opportunity

After a three-year ban, trainer Bob Baffert returns to the Derby with hopes of a seventh win amid ongoing scrutiny over horse medication rules.

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  1. The larger-than-life Bob Baffert is returning to the Kentucky Derby. The identity crisis he represents in racing never left.

    But after more than two years of reporting, I found that the story of Bob Baffert is not a tale of a singular sinner, but instead a parable for a sport struggling to explain its welfare and medication practices to an American public that increasingly disapproves of it.

    The larger-than-life Bob Baffert is returning to the Kentucky Derby. The identity crisis he represents in racing never left.

    CNNCNN·13d
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  3. Bob Baffert-trained horse scratched from Kentucky Derby ahead of Hall of Famer's return to Churchill Downs

    The Hall of Fame trainer is returning to Churchill Downs for the first time since Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby victory in 2021, a title that was later stripped because of a positive drug test resulting in a three-year suspension for Baffert.

    Bob Baffert-trained horse scratched from Kentucky Derby ahead of Hall of Famer's return to Churchill Downs

    FOX NewsFOX News·13d
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    Leans Right
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  1. CNN
  2. New York Sun
  3. FOX News
Updated: May 2nd, 2025, 12:40 PM ET

Summary

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Bob Baffert, a prominent horse trainer who faced a suspension due to a failed drug test, makes his much-anticipated return to the Kentucky Derby with his horse Citizen Bull. Baffert’s previous win in 2021 was overshadowed by scandal after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance. While facing mixed reactions, Baffert emphasizes his innocence regarding doping allegations. Only 19 horses will compete in the 151st Derby following late scratches, including one of Baffert's horses, Rodriguez, due to injury.

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Bob Baffert Returns to Kentucky Derby: Controversy and Opportunity - Pano News