Washington, United States (AFP) — Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert returns to the Kentucky Derby in search of a seventh victory on Saturday, but the Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism is the California colt favoured to capture the first jewel in US flat racing’s Triple Crown.

Baffert, the polarising 72-year-old whose Kentucky Derby winners include American Pharoah and Justify — two horses that went on to complete the Triple Crown — is back for the 151st Run for the Roses for the first time since 2021 — when his Medina Spirit crossed the line first but was disqualified after failing a post-race drug test.

Baffert was initially banned by Churchill Downs for two years, but in 2023 the iconic Louisville track extended his punishment, accusing him of continuing “to peddle a false narrative” concerning the drug test of Medina Spirit — who died later in 2021.

Reinstated in July, Baffert says he is delighted to be back at the event that he says is key to US racing.

“It’s our Masters,” said Baffert, who has saddled 17 winners across the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. “It’s the race that defines your career.”

He’s back with two longshots in Citizen Bull and Rodriguez.

Citizen Bull, last year’s top two-year-old, saw his stock slip with a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby then drew the unfavourable first post in Saturday’s draw.

“Well, we got the one [gate] out of the way,” Baffert quipped.

“I’m glad I didn’t get the two with the other horse,” he added after Rodriguez drew the fourth post.

Journalism arrives on a four-race winning streak that includes three graded stakes wins — most recently the Grade One Santa Anita Derby, where he overcame a troubled trip to beat Baeza by three-quarters of a length.

The colt will break from the eighth post under jockey Umberto Rispoli and was installed as the early 3-1 favourite.

“What’s not to like,” McCarthy said after the draw, although this week he said the enviable eighth slot wasn’t his only reason for confidence.

“Wouldn’t have mattered where he was drawn,” McCarthy said.

Two horses expected to challenge Journalism, the Bill Mott-trained Sovereignty and Arkansas Derby-winner
Sandman, drew outside posts in the 20-horse field.

Sovereignty will start from the 18th post and was priced at 5-1 while the Mark Casse-trained Sandman was priced at 6-1 after drawing the 17th post.

After disappointment last year for Forever Young — third in a dramatic three-way photo finish behind Mystik Dan and
Sierra Leone — two Japanese raiders will try to give the country a first Kentucky Derby victory.

Admire Daytona, trained by Yukihiro Kato, arrives off a UAE Derby triumph on April 5 while Luxor Cafe, a Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah trained in Japan by Noriyuki Hori, won the Fukuryu Stakes by five lengths to clinch his Kentucky Derby berth via the Japan Road series.