Kentucky Derby field reduced to 19 with scratch of Grande, leaving owner Mike Repole 'shocked'

Audio By Carbonatix

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Grande has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby, reducing the field for Saturday’s 151st edition to 19 horses.

He joins Rodriguez on the sidelines after that colt was scratched on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande,” owner Mike Repole posted Friday on X. “He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving.”

Repole said various diagnostic tests on Grande came back clean, including a PET scan requested by Kentucky state veterinarians. He said the 3-year-old colt had been “training and looking great” on the track all week.

“We were very confused with all the clean diagnostics and improvement all week, why they rushed to judgment to scratch today,” Repole wrote.

“We are also shocked and confused why this decision was made now. We were given no real explanation why Grande was scratched 36 hours before the race.”

Repole has had this happen twice before. In 2011, Uncle Mo was scratched the day before the race because of a gastrointestinal infection. In 2023, Forte was scratched the morning of the race due to a bruised right front foot. The self-made billionaire from New York is 0-for-8 in the Derby.

“We all love these horses and our number one concern is the safety and welfare of these amazing Thoroughbreds. That is, and should always be the priority,” Repole wrote. “With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when…especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound.”

Rodriguez's scratch moved Baeza into the field. He was the only horse on the also-eligible list, so there will be no replacement for Grande.

Grande was the lone runner for two-time Derby-winning trainer Pletcher and was to be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

___

AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing