Louisville (United States) (AFP) – Grande has been scratched from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, racetrack Churchill Downs announced, trimming the field to 19 horses for the US flat racing Triple Crown opener. Derby officials said the 10-1 entry, who had been set to start from gate 10, was pulled due to a bruised foot from the 151st Run for the Roses at Louisville, Kentucky.
But owners Repole Stable, headed by Mike Repole, said his horse had been improving from a cracked heel. “Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande,” Repole Stable said in a statement posted on X on Friday. “He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving.”
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Trainer Todd Pletcher had taken extra precautions with Grande during the training week. “To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays,” the statement said. “On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if we could do a PET scan, and Grande had that yesterday and it was also clean. He has been training and looking great on the track all week. 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.” The stable added: “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.”
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