So many scratches, it’s crazy! Wow, it seems like this Kentucky Derby has already gone through quite a bit of drama, and we haven’t even hit the final hours before the big G1 race yet! So, with Bob Baffert taking Rodriguez out of the running, there’s this horse owner who has decided to pull his colt from the Derby. It’s Mike Repole’s Grande, you know? Yeah, that’s the same horse that came in second to Rodriguez at the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes and managed to snag some important points to qualify for the Run for the Roses.
The horse’s owner, who has a net worth of about $1.6 billion, shared a message with the audience eagerly waiting to see his horse run after this scratch. On X, Repole shared, “Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby. He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if we could do a PET scan, and Grande had that yesterday and it was also clean.”
So, what’s the story? Before that, are you aware that Mike bought this horse for $300,000 during the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale? Quite a loss for not only Repole but also trainer Todd Pletcher.
Repole mentioned that Grande had been managing a little cracked heel throughout the week, but thankfully, he was getting better steadily. The team decided to play it safe and did some X-rays on Monday, which turned out clear. Then, they followed up with a PET scan on Wednesday, and that also showed everything was fine. Repole pointed out that Grande had been training really well all week and was showing improvement, which made it tough for him and his team to grasp why the vets suddenly decided to scratch the horse.
“The heel has improved throughout the week and it also improved again this morning. Unfortunately the vets told us this morning they were scratching the horse despite the clean diagnostics. We were very confused with all the clean diagnostics and improvement all week, why they rushed to judgment to scratch today. With the race being tomorrow, and Baeza already having drawn into the race, 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,” the billionaire stated.
Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby.
He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if…
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) May 2, 2025
Mike Repole pointed out that officials didn’t provide a clear explanation, especially since all the medical diagnostics showed the horse was in good shape. Repole emphasized that the health and safety of horses should always come first, but he raised concerns about the inconsistency and lack of transparency in how veterinarians make decisions about scratches. This is especially important in high-stakes races like the Derby, where those choices can have major impacts. Apart from Repole’s Grande, why did Baffert scratch his Rodriguez from the Kentucky Derby?
A tough decision was taken by Bob Baffert before Mike Repole
Mike Repole just dropped this update a few minutes back, but Bob Baffert’s news about Rodriguez really shook things up in the horse racing world. So, this three-year-old colt held Baffert’s hopes for redemption as he aims for that seventh Kentucky Derby title. What went down?
When asked about the tough decision, Baffert mentioned, “…he had a little foot issue right after I breezed him. It’s just one of those things where it’s still a little sensitive and he’s going to need a few more days. You have to be perfect if you’re going to win the Derby. You got to be 100% perfect.” So, Rodriguez had a health issue that made him not fully competent for the upcoming Run for the Roses.
Also, the 72-year-old trainer pointed out that the horse’s health is way more important than the race, and for events like the Kentucky Derby, the colt really needs to be in top form. Honestly, performance is really important, and with that little foot issue, who knows what could’ve happened to Rodriguez if he had been set to race.
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