When Bob Baffert faced the lowest point in his career back in 2021, many may have written him off. But not Baffert. “Well, all the time you spend trying to get back what’s been taken from you, more is going out the door. After a while, you just have to try to get a tourniquet on it,” said Baffert to the New York Times, quoting one of his favorite films, No Country for Old Men. He may have lost 3 years’ worth of Kentucky Derbies but the time to dwell on that was long past. The legendary trainer is back; he’s in Churchill Downs with two strong contenders in the mix, and he has a strong message for all his critics.

With just days left for the big event, Baffert is strolling around Churchill Downs as though he never left, complete with his signature sunglasses. But for all his achievements, he has as many fans as he does critics. From his often abrasive style of speech to the 2021 doping violation that saw his horse Medina Spirit stripped of his Derby title, Baffert cuts a notorious figure in the sport. But does he let it get to him? “I know people will still have opinions, and there’s nothing I can do about that,” said Baffert. “People will say what they say or think what they think.”

“I know it was an honest mistake, but at the end of the day, it couldn’t be in the horse’s system. That’s the rule, and Churchill had to do what they had to do. I respect that. I’m grateful to be back. I love this race. I just want to move forward.’’ Baffert’s name comes attached to the events of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. At the time he maintained his innocence, arguing that the test came back positive as a result of the ointment used to treat Medina Spirit’s dermatitis.

This may be the most talked about race of his career, but Baffert isn’t letting any of the outside noise get to him. “We’re going in there and treat it no differently than we have any other year,” Baffert told SportsNet. Having already made his return to Churchill Downs late last year might have taken some of the pressure off. In that race on November 27th, his horse Barnes emerged on top, winning his debut race. Although Barnes didn’t make it to Kentucky this time around, Baffert has two solid contenders in the form of Rodriguez and Citizen Bull.

Neither horse may be the outright favorite—that honor goes to Michael McCarthy’s Journalism—but as Mystik Dan showed everyone last year, you can never count a horse out in the Run for the Roses. Especially not Bob Baffert’s horses. And while there are many in the community who question Baffert’s return, Churchill Downs has been nothing but hospitable.

A new normal for Bob Baffert

After being banned for three years, very few would’ve thought to see Baffert contending for the Kentucky Derby title again. Nonetheless, he is back here with a good chance of lifting the record seventh title. But three years is a long time and with an exit as ignominious as his, how must he have been received? Well, Baffert opened up about exactly that in a recent interview.

Baffert said, “Coming into the stable gate, everyone was nice to me. You know, [they] welcomed me back. So, it’s like I never left, you know? We just, you know, we just missed it.”  Further, Baffert also took the responsibility of Medina Spirit’s failed doping test, saying, “I accept responsibility for Medina Spirit’s positive test. I have paid a very steep price with a three-year suspension and the disqualification.”

As for his fellow trainers and competitors? “Everyone’s been really nice to me,” Baffert said. “They say they are happy to see me, and I’m happy to be back.”

According to the latest odds, Rodriguez has a 12-1 chance of winning, whereas Citizen Bull enters the race with odds of 20-1 to finish first. “If there’s a heaven it’s in that (Churchill Downs) winner’s circle,” he once told CNN in 2019. Will Bob Baffert reclaim his spot in heaven? Let us know your views in the comments below.