Recall the moment when Bob Baffert acknowledged his suspension, expressing, “My family and I want to put this behind us and get back to doing what we love to do without anymore distraction or negativity. I very much look forward to returning to Churchill Downs and getting back to the Winner’s Circle.” The 72-year-old horse racing trainer expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome after Medina Spirit’s failed drug test in 2021. Nonetheless, he recognized that the authorities were compelled to make a decision and impose a suspension on him. Moving forward, Baffert is poised to forge new connections while aiming to reclaim his supremacy in the world of horse racing.

The trainer boasts an impressive record of six victories at the Kentucky Derby, achieved in the years 1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, and 2020. He is eager to secure that seventh victory, that too during his comeback race. Nonetheless, the journey leading up to the Kentucky Derby has proven to be quite complicated for the trainer. Do you recall Citizen Bull? After being eclipsed by rivals like Coal Battle and Owen Almighty recently, Baffert’s leading horse has slipped even further down the rankings, thanks to the emergence of these three new contenders.

Will these new contenders become Bob Baffert’s kryptonite?

The official Kentucky Derby website lists Tiztastic, Final Gambit, and Chunk of Gold as the three horses in question. The standings show that they now occupy the first, second, and third positions, with 119, 100, and 75 points, respectively. The new leader, Tiztastic is a horse whose career has seen only 3 first place finishes out of 8 races. But what’s important is that one of these victories occurred in his latest race at the Louisiana Derby, which has propelled him to an impressive 100 points, allowing him to surpass all his rivals on the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings.

What did his trainer think? “This horse is getting better at the right time,” remarked Steve Asmussen, who also secured his fifth Louisiana Derby title in the process. Nonetheless, Asmussen elaborated on the decision to race him at Fair Grounds, saying, “We thought he’d run bigger in the Southwest. Since he didn’t run his race and he had trained so well here, we brought him back here, knowing he needed more distance. He’s stepping forward when he needs to. The horse has got a great mind about him. He ran a solid race, but I think there’s more in him.”

In the race, Tiztastic assumed his usual position and began to glide past horses with ease along the rail as the field approached the far turn, and the rest was history. Tiztastic secured a decisive victory, and Asmussen is eager to continue racing this horse in the future.

Meanwhile, Final Gambit last raced at the Jeff Ruby Stakes. The narrative at Turfway Park centered on Brad Cox’s horse, who achieved a decisive victory. Indeed, he is an excellent horse, and Cox’s confidence paid off, as the colt gathered all 100 points from this Grade 3 race alone. What did his trainer have to say? Cox refrained from sharing his insights on the colt, but Turfway assistant Tessa Walden remarked, “He’s a horse that was pretty immature from the beginning so we just developed him slowly. He’s continuously shown the ability to step up, we thought it was a good time to try it.”

Now to round off our top 3, we have Chunk of Gold. In a noteworthy performance, the Ethan West-trained horse, Chunk of Gold, clinched 50 points in the Louisiana Derby. Indeed, while the colt had the potential to chase after those impressive 100 points, Tiztastic was not going to be caught in that race. What about the remaining 25 points, you might ask? Chunk of Gold clinched them during the Risen Star Stakes. Aside from his debut race, the colt has consistently secured second place in every race of the 2025 season, positioning him as a formidable contender for the Kentucky Derby.

As you observe these horses making their impact, are you aware that Baffert is also conditioning his horses behind the scenes?

The 72-year-old is taking his own time

Recall the moment when Bob Baffert expressed his strong belief in Gaming, declaring, “It’s a mile and an eighth, one turn, we’ll give him one more crack at it. The Oaklawn race was horrendous. He didn’t get anything out of that. He’s come back and worked well. He was stuck in the one-hole in each of his last two starts and had disastrous trips. I just want to get him back on track. We know he’s a good horse.” He was prepared to offer the horse another opportunity after a series of disappointing performances.

But in a last-minute decision, Baffert opted to run Getaway Car instead of Gaming. And how did it go? Indeed, rather unfortunately. Getaway Car secured a fourth-place finish in the Virginia Derby. In light of this letdown, an update was sent out by @sdhorserace on X: “Trainer Bob Baffert worked Barnes and Gaming Monday at @santaanitapark. Barnes posted a 6-furlong bullet 1:11.8 (1/4) while Gaming fired a 5-furlong bullet in :59. (1/76). Baffert says he’ll know more next week as to where his Derby contenders will run next.”

Baffert appears to have swiftly put Barnes and Gaming under inspection. Their workouts were completed, and the outcomes appear to be quite promising for the trainer. Nevertheless, these two were not the only horses Baffert is evaluating. Madaket Road has caught attention, as he is set to compete in the upcoming Florida Derby. Additionally, horse racing photographer J. McLaughlin Safford reported, “Madaket Road worked 5F in 1:00.80 this morning under Martin Garcia for HoF trainer Bob Baffert.”

The 72-year-old horse trainer is certainly not leaving any details overlooked. He stands poised with his horses, and only time will reveal when they will be primed to seize those vital points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.