Bob Baffert, legendary horse trainer and two-time Triple Crown winner, has served his suspension and will return to Churchill Downs on May 3rd for the 151st Kentucky Derby.
Baffert was disqualified from the 2021 Derby after his winning horse tested positive for betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory treatment often used on horses to treat dermatitis. After the drug test, Baffert’s horse Medina Spirit was disqualified, and Mandaloun was given the 2021 Kentucky Derby crown. As a result of the disqualification, Baffert was also prohibited from entering the premises or racing horses at facilities owned by Churchill Downs Inc. for two years.
In 2023, Churchill Downs Inc. extended its suspension another year after Baffert dropped his lawsuit against the company. However, Churchill Downs revoked their suspension last summer and invited the Hall of Fame trainer back to their tracks.
This year, Baffert has two horses that will race for the roses on May 3rd: Rodriguez and Citizen’s Bull. Baffert’s past horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, and he is tied for the most all-time trainer wins with Ben A. Jones.
What Horses Are Racing In The 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Below is a list of confirmed horses for the 151st Kentucky Derby. The post-position draw will take place on Saturday, April 26th, and we expect the odds to shift significantly after the horses are assigned to their posts.
According to the Courier-Journal, posts 5 and 20 have the best overall win percentages, with 10.5% each, and post position 17 has yet to produce a Derby winner.
2025 Kentucky Derby Horses
- Burnham Square
- Sandman
- Journalism
- Rodriguez
- Tiztastic
- Tappan Street
- Sovereignty
- Final Gambit
- Coal Battle
- Chunk of Gold
- Citizen Bull
- Owen Almighty
- East Avenue
- Publisher
- American Promise
- Flying Mohawk
- Grande
- Built
- Luxor Café
- Admire Daytona
Betting On The 151st Kentucky Derby
Unless you are trackside on May 3rd, betting on the Kentucky Derby will likely require an online racebook. Early odds indicate Journalism as the favorite; however, that could change after the post-position draw this weekend.
Journalism is a bay colt just off an impressive victory at the San Felipe S. at Santa Anita. He has compiled a record of 3-0-1 from four starts and earned an estimated $338k. Baffert’s Citizen Bull has also had an impressive run to the Derby, with three wins and one show in competitions. As seen below odds are against Baffert’s horses but bettors know his track record and will likely bet heavily on Citizen Bull with +1200 odds.
Below are the betting odds for the Kentucky Derby Winner from Bovada’s online sportsbook.
Winner
- Journalism +350
- Sovereignty +700
- Luxor Café +1000
- Sandman +1000
- Citizen Bull +1200
- Rodriguez +1200
- Tappan Street +1200
- Burnham Square +1400
- Grande +1600
- Tiztastic +1600
- Coal Battle +2000
- East Avenue +2000
- American Promise +2500
- Publisher +2500
- Admire Daytona +3000
- Chunk Of Gold +3000
- Final Gambit +3000
- Built +4000
- Flying Mohawk +4000
- Owen Almighty +4000
- Neoequos +5000