KENTUCKY DERBY: Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is back at Churchill Downs with the favorite Justify.

Hall of Fame trainer absent last year when his horse was hurt

LOUISVILLE, KY.» Bob Baffert is back at the Kentucky Derby with early favorite Justify after watching the race from his sofa in Southern California last year.

The Hall of Fame trainer’s ability to produce Derby contenders year after year is an enviable feat and why his absence a year ago stood out. It was just his second since 2009 and occurred because his lone candidate got hurt.

Baffert will saddle Justify and 30-1 shot Solomini in Saturday’s Derby.

Justify is one of the greenest colts Baffert has brought to Churchill Downs. He’s won all three of his starts by a combined 19 lengths. If Justify wins, he’d be the first to do so since Apollo in 1882 without racing as a 2-year-old.

“The thing about the Kentucky Derby, you have to have the right horse. It just hap- pens. You can’t force it,” Baffert said. “All of a sudden, you have good horses and you’re there. So I’ve been really fortunate to have some really good horses.”

Baffert’s four victories are tied for second-most in Derby history. He’s finished second three times, too, including in 2012 with Bodemeister, also the last time he had two starters in the same year.

Like Justify, Bodemeister didn’t race as a 2-year-old. He set a blistering pace and led the Derby until the final 150 yards when I’ll Have Another overtook him to win by 1 ½ lengths.

Magnum Moon, the 6-1 third choice, also is unbeaten and didn’t run as a 2-year-old.

“It’s going to happen,” Baffert said, referring to the curse being broken. “Whether it happens this year or whatever, but it will happen because Bodemeister almost got away with it. But I don’t really worry about that.”

Baffert almost had a third starter this year until McKinzie developed a hind end issue that knocked him off the Derby trail.

“When McKinzie got hurt, I wanted to throw up,” he said. “I really think McKinzie would probably be second choice here. We’d really have a 1-2 here.”

Charlie Riedel, The Associated Press Trainer Bob Baffert watches Tuesday morning’s workout at Churchill Downs. Baffert, who missed last year’s Kentucky Derby, has two horses in this year’s field: the favorite, Justify, and Solomini, given 30-1 odds.