As trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension from the New York Racing Association is set to expire this week, new details have emerged about what has to happen for horses currently trained by him to be eligible to compete in this year’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. As Baffert is still suspended by Churchill Downs through this year’s Derby on May 6, owners who have potential Derby horses with him must transfer them to other trainers by Feb. 28 in order to be eligible to earn qualifying points in those points-scoring races designated by Churchill Downs on the Road to the Derby. On the nomination form for this year’s Triple Crown – the first deadline for which is Jan. 29 – it states “horses under the care of any suspended trainer or affiliates may be transferred to a non-suspended trainer and become eligible for earning points on a forward-looking basis so long as the transfer is complete by February 28, 2023.” “Right now, we’re not commenting on anything,” Baffert said Sunday. “We have a Feb. 2 hearing, we’re waiting until that date. Until then, there’s nothing to talk about.” In 2021, following the positive test for betamethasone in the post-race sample of Medina Spirit, who finished first in that year’s Kentucky Derby – he was ultimately disqualified from that win – Churchill Downs suspended Baffert through the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Baffert is seeking to have the second year of that ban thrown out, and there is a preliminary injunction hearing in that matter scheduled for Feb. 2. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. Last April, Baffert was serving a 90-day suspension, owing to that medication violation of Medina Spirit, and two of his horses – Taiba and Messier – were transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen. Those two horses, under Yakteen, finished one-two in the Santa Anita Derby, earning enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby where they finished 12th and 15th, respectively. This year, Baffert seems to have a gaggle of 3-year-olds who could be considered Kentucky Derby prospects. That group includes Arabian Knight, a horse Baffert is pointing to next Saturday’s Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Arabian Knight was a 7 1/4-length debut winner on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Though the Southwest offers 40 qualifying points (20-8-6-4-2) to its top finishers, Arabian Knight is ineligible to earn any points as long as he is trained by Baffert. Horses trained by Baffert have filled out points-earning placings in multiple stakes races to date but did not receive any Derby points. Baffert sent out the top four finishers of the American Pharoah – Cave Rock, National Treasure, Hejazi, and Gandolfini – last October. Neither Cave Rock nor National Treasure earned Derby points for running second and third, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4. Carmel Road, Fort Bragg, and Arabian Lion did not earn points for their second-, third-, and fifth-place finishes in the Los Alamitos Futurity. Lastly, the Baffert trio of Reincarnate, Newgate, and National Treasure did not earn points for running 1-2-3 in the Sham Stakes on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita. Meanwhile, Baffert’s suspension from the New York Racing Association is set to expire Wednesday, making him eligible to run horses at NYRA tracks starting Thursday at Aqueduct. Though Baffert had no medication violations in New York, the NYRA suspended Baffert for a rash of medication violations that occurred elsewhere, including Medina Spirit’s positive at the 2021 Derby. Baffert was eligible to nominate horses for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, a stakes for 3-year-olds here Feb. 4, but did not. Asked if he would begin considering running horses in New York when his suspension ends, Baffert said “We run if we have something good enough to run. I focus week by week. We’ll see what happens.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.