It’s Derby season, and Churchill Downs is buzzing like a beehive in May! But while the excitement is sky-high for most, things are a little less sparkly for Bob Baffert. Yup, the man, the myth, the legend is back after a three-year timeout, ready to throw down in Louisville. But here’s the kicker; his horse, Citizen Bull, pulled the No. 1 post. And if you know your Derby drama, you know that spot is basically the haunted hallway of horse racing. Like… we’re talking cursed. Nobody’s cracked a win from there since 1986. Since then? Zero-for-37. Ouch. Add in the chaos of 20 horses and a track that’s tighter than a soda cap, and yeah—Baffert’s got a mountain to climb.

But don’t count the silver-haired stallion-whisperer out just yet. Even with the odds stacked like Jenga blocks, Baffert’s rolling with calm confidence. He’s got Martin Garcia in the saddle; an old hand who knows how to blast off from the gate like a rocket, which is basically the game plan when you’re squished on the inside rail. Baffert admitted he would’ve loved a cushier outside spot, but hey, Citizen Bull’s got the fire to charge early, and that might just be their lifeline. Handicappers are tossing around long-shot vibes, calling it one of the toughest Derby setups Baffert’s ever faced. Still, it seems like the old legend’s still has some luck on his side.

Over on Fox News, things got a lil’ splashy in the conversation when the host hit Bob Baffert with a real-time weather bomb: “So it’s going to rain on Saturday. You’ve got two horses in the derby. What does that mean if you’ve got a muddy track?” And Bob? Oh, he didn’t miss a beat, he leaned right in with that signature confidence. “We have Citizen Bull and he was the champion two-year-old and he’s built like a bull. I mean he is powerful and he thinks he’s King Kong and I think he’ll like the wet. You know he could like the wet…” And just like that, you could practically hear the thunder rumbling behind Citizen Bull’s entrance music.

Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez was the other Bob Baffert trainee who was set to participate on Saturday. In fact, he was the Hall of Famer’s best bet to win the historic seventh Kentucky Derby trophy. But as the colt sustained a foot bruise, “an abundance of caution” was exercised, leading him to be scratched from the race. But not all hope is lost as Baffert hopes to race him in the Preakness Stakes on May 17 if the colt is at his 100%. So it’s just Citizen Bull that Baffert will have to count on. Granted, he’s not going to mind the rain, but is he really a top contender going into the first leg of the Triple Crown?

He kicked off his career with a clean win at Del Mar, stumbled a bit as the favorite in the Del Mar Futurity, but came back swinging in the American Pharoah Stakes like he had something to prove. From gate to wire, nobody touched him. That win punched his golden ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile—and he made it count. Took the lead early, never looked back, and cruised into the stretch like he was born for the spotlight. With that sparkling finish, he gave Baffert his record-breaking sixth win in the Juvenile and basically locked down that Eclipse Award like it was just chilling there waiting for him.

Fast forward to his 3-year-old debut, and Citizen Bull’s energy was just different. He didn’t get the cleanest start in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, but no stress—he still zoomed to the front like a boss, shook off a light challenge, and flexed on the field with a 3¾-length win without even hitting top gear. But then his fourth-place finish at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 has cast a shadow over his prospects, with his odds currently standing at 13-1. But then again, as Baffert said, he wasn’t fully fit at the time. This time, however, fitness won’t be a problem. What’s more? Baffert is going will go into the Kentucky Derby with a mind unburdened by the past.

Bob Baffert makes a confession!

Bob Baffert’s back in Derby town, and yeah—it’s been a long ride full of bumps, bruises, and headlines that felt louder than the roar of the crowd. When Churchill Downs slammed the gates shut on him back in 2021, calling his actions “reckless practices and substance violations,” it looked like the crown might never sit right again. But hey, time has a funny way of humbling even the greats. And now, with a few hours to go before the 151st Kentucky Derby, the silver-haired showman is saddling up with a brand new mindset, and maybe even a little more heart.

That 2021 Medina Spirit win? It came with celebration… and then chaos. The betamethasone fallout hit hard, and suddenly Bob wasn’t the king of the stretch; he was the ghost in the paddock, locked out until 2024. The Derby dream was stripped away, and his name got tossed into every scandal headline in town. But guess what? Bob didn’t crumble. He learned, he grew, and now, hours away from his return to Churchill Downs, he’s tossing the rearview mirror straight out the window. As he told the Associated Press, “As a horse trainer, what you learn is that you can’t, you know, it’s not good to look back at what’s already happened. You need to stay focused on what’s in front of you at all times.”

And that’s the vibe; pure forward motion. No looking back, no dwelling, just eyes on the wire. “What’s happened in the last three years, that’s all been put behind me,” he added, “and I’m focusing on what’s in front of me, because you can’t let that bother you.” So yeah, Bob’s back, not just older, but a little wiser, a little tougher, and maybe, just maybe, a little more human too.