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Horse racing’s household name will miss the 150th Kentucky Derby. Bob Baffert is exiled for 3rd year

FILE - In this May 17, 2015, file photo, trainer Bob Baffert rubs the head of 2015 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah outside the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, May 17, 2015. Baffert will miss the race for the third consecutive year. He served a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. after his 2021 winner Medina Spirit was disqualified for a failed drug test. But the track's corporate ownership meted out an additional year of punishment. (AP Photo/Garry Jones, File)
FILE - In this May 17, 2015, file photo, trainer Bob Baffert rubs the head of 2015 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah outside the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, May 17, 2015. Baffert will miss the race for the third consecutive year. He served a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. after his 2021 winner Medina Spirit was disqualified for a failed drug test. But the track's corporate ownership meted out an additional year of punishment. (AP Photo/Garry Jones, File) FILE - In this May 17, 2015, file photo, trainer Bob Baffert rubs the head of 2015 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah outside the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, May 17, 2015. Baffert will miss the race for the third consecutive year. He served a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc. after his 2021 winner Medina Spirit was disqualified for a failed drug test. But the track's corporate ownership meted out an additional year of punishment. (AP Photo/Garry Jones, File)

By BETH HARRIS / AP Racing Writer 4 min read

The 150th Kentucky Derby is missing horse racing’s household name: Bob Baffert.

The Hall of Fame trainer with a record-tying six victories won’t be saddling a contender in Saturday’s Run for the Roses for the third consecutive year.

Last July, Baffert had another year tacked on to his two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., which was set to expire in 2023. The additional punishment came despite no positive drug or medication tests involving the 71-year-old trainer’s horses during that time.

CDI imposed the original penalty after Baffert’s 2021 Derby winner, Medina Spirit, flunked a post-race drug test. The colt tested positive for a legal medication that isn’t allowed on race day in Kentucky. Medina Spirit was later disqualified.

That led to two years of lawsuits, but Baffert failed in his attempts to be reinstated by Churchill Downs or have Medina Spirit’s victory restored. In January, Baffert said he was dropping his legal challenges against CDI. His move didn’t thaw the frosty relations between the two sides.