“I really feel like this year I have two horses that could be in the top five, top 10,” Bob Baffert said before the Kentucky Derby. The legendary trainer’s three-year suspension had finally ended, and he was looking forward to making a grand comeback with not one but two horses: Rodriguez and Citizen Bull. Unfortunately for Baffert, Rodriguez sustained a bruise just days before the race, and since then, the 72-year-old’s much-awaited comeback has been stuck in a bit of a limbo.

While Citizen Bull did run in the Kentucky Derby, he finished far below the top that Baffert had hoped, ending up in 15th place. The Preakness Stakes, aka the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, also brought bad luck as Goal Oriented bumped hard into eventual winner Journalism. “I knew he was intimidated,” Baffert confessed after the Preakness 150. However, this is a multiple-time Triple Crown winner we’re talking about, and he isn’t giving up so easily.

While his plan to enter two horses at the Derby didn’t work out, the 72-year-old is all set to bring Citizen Bull and Madaket Road, two Kentucky-bred colts with a combined $1.325 million price tag, at the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes, the event that he won last year with Arabian Lion.

Team Baffert’s SF Racing managing partner, Tom Ryan, confirmed the move on X. “Citizen Bull was in complete control again this morning. Smooth all the way, wanting more. He’s on target for The G1 7f Woody Stephens with two leading @nmrhof inductees calling the shots:@mikeesmith10 and @BobBaffert – Madaket Road has also come out of the Pat Day Mile in top form and will line up alongside in the Woody Stephens with another HOF jockey,” wrote Ryan. Moreover, Bob Baffert has learned from Citizen Bull’s poor finish at the sloppy Churchill Downs track and has made some adjustments.

The veteran trainer plans to run the $675,000, two-year-old colt blinker-free for the seven-furlong race. “Without the blinkers, he’s more manageable; he doesn’t have to be pedal to the metal. He breezed well,” Baffert told DRF. Baffert said that Citizen Bull will have Mike Smith as his jockey instead of Martin Garcia. Meanwhile, Madaket Road will have his blinkers on for the race and will be ridden by John Velazquez. But wait, there’s more.

The legendary horse trainer who broke the 37-year Triple Crown drought with American Pharoah may be gearing up to enter Rodriguez in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga as well.

Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby contender bounces back

The $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes is just one of the many Grade 1 races for the Belmont Stakes week at Saratoga. However, the main event is the Belmont Stakes, and all the signs point to Baffert entering the horse that couldn’t run in the Kentucky Derby. That’s because Rodriguez has been training at Santa Anita, and he’s been doing well.

The G2 Wood Memorial Stakes winner ran five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Santa Anita on Friday morning. A week earlier, he ran seven furlongs in 1:24.80. What’s more? Bob Baffert confirmed that the probable Belmont Stakes contender is healthy now. “I knew I was in trouble,” Baffert told DRF about Rodriguez suffering an injury ahead of the Derby.

The 72-year-old explained that Rodriguez didn’t have enough time to heal before the Kentucky Derby. Thankfully, the colt has recovered well since the 2025 Kentucky Derby. “Now, he’s got the time. He came back and worked. I’m happy he’s going up there. He looks good,” Baffert added.

The Belmont Stakes will be Baffert’s last chance to make a statement at this year’s Triple Crown. Rodriguez will likely have his work cut out for him racing alongside other probables like Kentucky Derby champ Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism.