Bob Baffert Takes Rare Route to Hailing His Triple Crown Winner Justify Amidst Legal Battle Over Legitimacy

Bob Baffert hasn’t been lucky in recent months. From being directed to return the 2018 Santa Anita Derby winning prize money to being barred from partaking in the 150th Kentucky Derby next month, the celebrity horse racing trainer’s life has been wrought with troubles over the last few weeks. However, while one of his best horses recently was slammed with a nullified Santa Anita victory, that didn’t stop Baffert from acknowledging their true worth.

So much so, that Baffert took to social media, a rare happenstance for the iconic name in the horse racing community, to nod his hat at Justify, amidst all the legal conundrum that kept him from entering the prestigious race. While Churchill Downs Incorporated looks to be hell-bent on making Baffert pay for his failed drug tests from 2018 and 2021, the trainer seems to be more concerned about how Justify helped him attain new professional heights.

Baffert’s latest X post took a moment to hail Justify for his accolades over the years. “Justify was a comet on the racetrack. He came, he saw, he conquered. A flash of brilliant light across the horizon.“, said Bob of his celebrity mare, who Baffert also noted broke one of the longest-running curses in the history of all sports. “He ended the curse of Apollo, and won the Triple Crown in the most spectacular and breathtaking five months any Thoroughbred has ever had.“, reminded Baffert just how incredible Justify was in 2018.

Another recently surfaced video also showed exactly how popular Justify was among his fans. “ He knew he was the man.“, said Baffert of Justify’s response to the admiring crowds who gathered to see him after his Triple Crown win.

Baffert also said that he has nothing but gratitude toward Justify for helping him and his stable feel the thrill of winning the Triple Crown once again, three years after the same feat by American Pharoah in 2015. While Baffert hails the horse for his moment in history, fans can’t get over the fact that the same horse is at the center of things when it comes to the trainer’s current situation.

Bob Baffert’s woes

A lawsuit by Mick Ruis, owner of the second-place finisher Bolt d’Oro in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby caused Justify’s winning spot to be handed to the latter. On top of that, a combined fine of $700,ooo was levied on Justify’s partners. The news added to Baffert’s misery while he was already serving the ban from 2021 when Medina Spirit was also disqualified from his Kentucky Derby Win. While Baffert’s allies argued that Justify was being singled out (citing environmental contamination that affected several other horses in 2018), it didn’t take away the horse’s Triple Crown victory but only tarnished Baffert’s reputation to some degree. And yet, his clients continued to make moves in hopes of getting Bob to enter next month’s Kentucky Derby.

Amr Zedan repeatedly appealed to the court to get an injunction on CDI’s suspension order so that his horse Muth could bear Baffert’s name at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. However, citing a regulation change that was introduced in January, the appeal was denied and Baffert and Muth’s future was made clear. Now, as fans wait to see if the veteran trainer returns to the CDI grounds next year, he will undoubtedly try to sort his home in the meantime.