Baffert said Lookin At Lucky may have been compromised by a minor infection and cough a week before the race.
“I had to treat him with antibiotics, and that’s hard on their system,” he said.
Although Baffert said he believes the surface and cough contributed to the disappointing effort, he was not fishing for an alibi.
“We had it cleared up, and I would have never have run him if I thought it was not. But antibiotics are hard on them.”