A day before the 2025 Kentucky Derby, one fewer horse will be competing in the inaugural Triple Crown event of the year.
Grande, slated to compete in the Derby from the 10th gate, has been withdrawn at the last minute, making her the second horse to be scratched mere days before the race. This happened on Thursday.
Rodriguez was also scratched
even though they entered the competition.
When entering the competition, Grande had taken part in three races earlier that year, securing victories at Gulfstream Park twice before the end of February. Although the horse wasn’t considered a frontrunner for the Derby, it still held 18-1 odds to claim victory right up until early May.
Here’s what you should understand about why Grande had to pull out at the last minute.
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What happened to Grande?
On Friday, Repole Stable, which owns Grande, announced via social media that the horse wouldn’t participate in the Kentucky Derby because of a cracked heel. According to Repole, although Grande had been dealing with a “minor cracked heel,” it showed signs of improvement, and they were optimistic about her ability to compete soon.
However, the vets instead decided to scratch Grande “despite the clean diagnostics.”
“I was quite puzzled by the clear diagnostic reports and continuous improvements throughout the week, yet they hurried to make a decision and revoked it today,” Repole stated.
Repole mentioned that his trainers had considered every precaution and believed Grande was capable of running in the Kentucky Derby.
“Despite having conducted numerous diagnostics and working with top veterinarians, along with the expertise of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we remain bewildered by the standards being used by the vets to decide which horses scratch and which ones proceed, particularly since all our tests indicate that the horse is healthy and fit,” stated Repole.
Which horse will take over Grande’s spot?
There won’t be a substitute horse for Grande participating in the Kentucky Derby, which means the race will see 19 horses competing rather than the originally planned 20.
On Thursday, Bob Baffert’s horse Rodriguez was withdrawn from the Derby, paving the way for Baeza to join the race as both the sole and initial alternative. Since there were no additional horses left on the also-eligible list, this year’s Kentucky Derby will be contested with one less participant than typical.
Revised post positions for the updated Kentucky Derby
Take a glance at the revised starting positions and betting odds for the Kentucky Derby.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizen Bull | 16-1 |
| 2 | Neoquos | 53-1 |
| 3 | Final Gambit | 16-1 |
| 4 | – | – |
| 5 | American Promise | 12-1 |
| 6 | Admire Daytona | 13-1 |
| 7 | Luxor Cafe | 13-1 |
| 8 | Journalism | 7-2 |
| 9 | Burnham Square | 17-1 |
| 10 | – | – |
| 11 | Flying Mohawk | 34-1 |
| 12 | East Avenue | 30-1 |
| 13 | Publisher | 27-1 |
| 14 | Tiztastic | 18-1 |
| 15 | Render Judgement | 12-1 |
| 16 | Coal Battle | 27-1 |
| 17 | Sandman | 5-1 |
| 18 | Bill Mott | 10-1 |
| 19 | Chunk Gold | 30-1 |
| 20 | Owen Almighty | 41-1 |
| 21 | Baeza | 42-1 |
