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.
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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.
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,” Repole wrote. “That is, and should always be the priority.”
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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.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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