Grande, trained by Todd Pletcher, withdrawn from Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury, specifically a bruise.
Whoa, the Kentucky Derby just got a little leaner! With 19 horses set to gallop now, Grande, trained by none other than Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole, had to bow out due to a frustrating foot bruise. The jockey, John Velazquez, was also left in the dust as his mounted beacon of hope fizzled away.
Grande's fate mirrors that of another scratched contender, Rodriguez, who also had to call it quits due to a foot problem. Rodriguez, under the watchful eye of Bob Baffert, had been gaining some serious traction, winning the race at Aqueduct. But yeah, sometimes the shoes don't fit, amirite?
It's been a while since Pletcher's stable has been Derby-less. Remember Forte, the morning-line favorite back in the day? Yeah, that's the one that didn't make it either. Pletcher's Derby résumé still boasts two wins though, in 2010 with Super Saver and again in 2017 with Always Dreaming.
Grande's racing history was brief but promising. He didn't race as a 2-year-old but made a splash in his three appearances, winning his maiden and an allowance race before finishing second in the Wood Memorial. A descendant of the esteemed Curlin, Grande was snapped up at a cool $300,000.
Set to start from the ninth position, the remaining horses on the outside will now move up one gate.
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Bob Baffert decides to sit out one of his horses for the Kentucky Derby
[1] "Bob Baffert to skip Kentucky Derby with TDN Rising Star Ludik Marseille"
[2] "Grande Scratched from Kentucky Derby"
[3] "Mike Repole Disappointed, Surprised by Grande's Scratch from Kentucky Derby"
- Despite Bob Baffert deciding to sit out the Kentucky Derby with TDN Rising Star Ludik Marseille, another of his contenders, Rodriguez, also had to withdraw due to a foot problem, similar to Grande.
- John Velazquez was left without a mount in the Kentucky Derby as Grande, the horse he was set to ride, had to be scratched due to a foot bruise.
- In the Kentucky Derby, with Grande's scratches, horses that were initially lined up from the ninth position will now move up one gate.
- Mike Repole, the owner of Grande, expressed disappointment and surprise about the horse's withdrawal from the Kentucky Derby.
- Prior to his scratch, Grande had been gaining momentum, with a promising racing history that included a win in his maiden and an allowance race, as well as a second place finish in the Wood Memorial.
