Legendary horse trainer Bob Baffert is breaking his silence on that insane Kentucky Derby ending --measuring his words carefully ... but telling TMZ Sports the whole thing was "crazy."
"Hell of a way to lose," Baffert said about Maximum Security -- who crossed the line first Saturday but was later DQ'd after officials say M.S. illegally impeded the path of other horses.
Maximum Security's owner Gary West now says his horse will NOT run in the Preakness later this month.
What's interesting ... Baffert says he worked for West this year -- training West's other horse Game Winner for the Kentucky Derby.