For the first time since 2021, Bob Baffert will be allowed to enter a horse to race at the Churchill Downs ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's excited to be back!!
We caught up with the legendary horse trainer out at LAX `this week ... and the 71-year-old said it felt "great" to be back in the saddle after his suspension from the track was rescinded in July.
Baffert was punished in 2021 after his horse -- Medina Spirit -- was disqualified from the Kentucky Derby after it failed a drug test -- leading to runner-up Mandaloun being declared the winner.
Now that the past is the past ... Baffert said he can't wait to get back to the legendary track -- and maybe even take home the first leg of the famed Triple Crown!!
"It's good to get all that behind me," he said. "Look forward to it and hope I got one good enough to go back there and win it!"
The 2025 edition of the race goes down on May 3 ... and Baffert will undoubtedly look to make an impact in his return from his suspension.