Churchill Downs lifts suspension of trainer Bob Baffert - ESPN

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Churchill Downs has rescinded its extended suspension of Bob Baffert, allowing the Hall of Fame trainer to resume racing his horses at the historic track and partner facilities after more than three years of banishment for a failed drug test of ultimately disqualified 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.

The stunning announcement came Friday after Baffert issued a statement in which he took responsibility for now-deceased colt Medina Spirit's failed drug test after crossing the finish line in the 147th Kentucky Derby in May 2021. Kentucky racing stewards disqualified Medina Spirit the following winter, and Churchill Downs elevated runner-up Mandaloun to Derby winner.

Churchill Downs said in a release that it was satisfied with Baffert taking responsibility while completing the penalty and committing to compliance.

«All parties agree that it is time to bring this chapter to a close and focus on the future. Baffert is welcome to return to any of CDI's racetracks, including our flagship Churchill Downs Racetrack, and we wish him and his connections good luck in their future competitive endeavors,» Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said in the statement.

The two-time Triple Crown winning trainer frequently criticized the ban and had unsuccessfully sued Churchill Downs, which last year extended the ban to the end of 2024 for subsequent criticism. Medina Spirit's owner, Zedan Racing Stables, had sued for the trainer's discipline to end this spring in an effort to get his Baffert-trained Arkansas Derby winner Muth into the 150th Derby.

In accepting responsibility, the 71-year-old Baffert acknowledged that he had paid a «very steep price» with the suspension and disqualification while assuming