Who is Bob Baffert? What to know of six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer
Editor's note: Follow along throughout the day for live coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby.
Bob Baffert is back at Churchill Downs.
It's the biggest storyline Saturday ahead of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, as the embattled trainer makes his return for the first time in three years.
A win on Saturday with Citizen Bull would give him 17 wins at Triple Crown race tracks. It would also put him in a class by himself with seven Kentucky Derby victories, which would be the most all-time by a trainer. Baffert originally had two horses running in the derby, but Rodriguez was scratched from the field on Thursday.
Here's what you need to know on Baffert ahead of the Kentucky Derby:
Who is Bob Baffert?
Bob Baffert is a Hall of Fame horse racing trainer and one of the most well-known and recognizable figures in the sport.
As noted by his profile page at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, he hails from Nogales, Arizona and comes from a horse training family: His father bred quarter horses on their cattle ranch. He briefly spent time as a jockey before getting into horse training, which came after earning a degree in animal sciences and racetrack management from the University of Arizona.
When American Pharoah became the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown in 2015, Baffert became just the 11th Triple Crown trainer in history. When Justify pulled off the Triple Crown in 2018, Baffert elevated his resume to another level: He joined James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons as the only trainers to train two Triple Crown-winning horses.
Baffert is also at the center of a controversial three-year suspension from Churchill Downs after one of his horses, Medina Spirit, tested positive in a post-race drug test following a win in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
Baffert's winning horses in Triple Crown races
Triple Crown
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Justify (2018)
Kentucky Derby
- Silver Charm (1997)
- Real Quiet (1998)
- War Emblem (2002)
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Justify (2018)
- Authentic (2020)
- Medina Spirit (2021)*
* title was stripped in February 2022 and does not count toward Baffert's Kentucky Derby win total
Preakness Stakes
- Silver Charm (1997)
- Real Quiet (1998)
- Point Given (2001)
- War Emblem (2002)
- Lookin At Lucky (2010)
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Justify (2018)
- National Treasure (2023)
Belmont Stakes
- Point Given (2001)
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Justify (2018)
Bob Baffert ban, explained
Baffert was suspended from 2022 to 2024 by Churchill Downs after his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for corticosteroid betamethasone in a post-race drug test.
The suspension of Baffert by Churchill Downs Incorporated was originally for two years, but the parent company of Churchill Downs added an extra year to it following a failed lawsuit attempt by Baffert in 2022. The reason for its escalation was because Baffert continued to "peddle a false narrative" on Medina Spirit's drug test results, according to Churchill Downs Incorporated.
It wasn't until July 2024 that Baffert dropped his suit. Churchill Downs Incorporated then dropped Baffert's suspension and reinstated him.
How old is Bob Baffert?
Bob Baffert is 72 years old. He will turn 73 in January 2026.
How many times has Bob Baffert won the Kentucky Derby?
In his 31 years as a horse trainer, Baffert has trained six Kentucky Derby-winning horses, which ties him for the most wins in the race's history with Ben Jones. Medina Spirit would have been his seventh Kentucky Derby-winning horse, but Churchill Downs Incorporated revoked that title during the three-year suspension.
Here's a list of the horses Baffert has trained that went on to win the Kentucky Derby:
- 1997: Silver Charm
- 1998: Real Quiet
- 2002: War Emblem
- 2015: American Pharoah *
- 2018: Justify *
- 2020: Authentic
* Denotes Triple Crown winner
Bob Baffert Kentucky Derby 2025 horse
Baffert is the trainer of Citizen Bull, who is running in the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday out of the No. 1 post position. There were originally suppose to be two Baffert-trained horses in the field, but Rodriguez was scratched from the race due to a foot bruise.
Citizen Bull is considered long shot to win the Kentucky Derby at 14-1 odds. Citizen Bull is 4-0-1 in six starts.