Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is back in the Kentucky Derby chase in earnest after pacesetting Citizen Bull and Gaming provided him with a one-two finish in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA Friday at Del Mar.

Baffert has been reinstated by Churchill Downs after serving a three-year suspension due to Medina Spirit’s positive test for a banned substance following his 2021 Kentucky Derby triumph.

In winning the Juvenile for a record sixth time, Baffert showed his readiness to pursue the all-time record for Derby triumphs. He is tied with Ben Jones with six overall.

Citizen Bull winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. (Eclipse Sportswire)

“I’m just proud of the way they ran. Citizen Bull and Gaming are two good horses,” Baffert said. “They are getting better and they are going to get better than what they did today.”

With 30,582 spectators crowding into picturesque Del Mar for “Future Stars Friday,” Baffert’s top two were both good and lucky. Lucky because highly regarded East Avenue, in his eagerness to get away quickly from the rail for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, all but sank to his knees as he stumbled badly out of the starting gate. He was never a factor in finishing ninth of 10.

“It’s just unfortunate,” said Brendan Walsh, the downcast trainer of East Avenue. “Tyler said he just went to break so fast it gave out from underneath him. From there, no one was closing. The race was over. Another day.”

With East Avenue hopelessly behind, Citizen Bull and jockey Martin Garcia were able to carve out comfortable fractions for the 1 1/16-mile contest. The opening quarter of a mile went in :23.44, the half-mile in :47.89. The winner was still coasting along through three-quarters in 1:12.81 en route to a final time of 1:43.07 on a fast, sun-splashed track.

Baffert, 71, knew well before it was over that he was on his way to the mark for Juvenile victories. His previous successes came with Vindication (2002), Midshipman (2008), New Year’s Day (2013), Game Winner (2018) and Corniche (2021). He owns 19 Breeders’ Cup victories overall.

Citizen Bull, a bay son of Into Mischief, returned $33.80 for a $2 win wager. He was overlooked even though he had produced a front-running score in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes Presented by DK Horse Oct. 5 at Santa Anita Park.

“These California horses aren’t getting the respect they deserve,” Baffert asserted. “We run on heavy tracks. They are demanding. But I knew, the way they were training, they were training so well. But they were going to have to step it up and these colts stepped it up.”

Baffert has always cherished his success in the Kentucky Derby. It means a great deal to him to again be pointing toward the first Saturday in May.

“I want to go there with a really good horse,” he said, adding, “It’s good to get all that behind us. The Derby is special. I have the greatest memories of the Kentucky Derby.

“I just feel that I don’t have to talk about it anymore. Life goes on. Forget about it. I’ve always been one to put things behind me.”

He said of setting his sights now on the coveted Derby record, “I just hope I have a horse good enough to win it. It’s fun. It’s a goal we all want. You need something to keep you excited.”

The connections of Citizen Bull celebrate his win. (Eclipse Sportswire)

As proof of how difficult it is to bring home the famed roses, Game Winner is the only one of Baffert’s Juvenile winners to even reach the opening leg of the Triple Crown. He wound up fifth. Since the inception of the Breeders’ Cup and the Juvenile in 1984, Street Sense, winner of the 2006 edition, and Nyquist, who prevailed in 2015, are the only ones to go on to capture the nation’s premier race for 3-year-olds.

Citizen Bull is owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. The connections are fitting because they remained loyal to Baffert during his suspension.

Kumin hailed Baffert’s return, saying, “I think it’s great. I understand what happened and the price was paid.”

The Juvenile underscored how masterful Baffert is in developing young talent. “With these types of horses, there is nobody better,” Kumin said. “On the dirt, there is nobody better.”