Rodriguez, trainer Bob Baffert's top contender for the Kentucky Derby, was scratched from the race due to a sensitive foot bruise. Although this was a setback, Tom Ryan, part of Rodriguez's ownership group, expressed optimism about the horse's health and plans to aim for the Preakness Stakes instead. The decision to scratch was made out of caution, emphasizing the importance of the horse's well-being. Meanwhile, Baeza, another contender, will compete after Rodriguez's defection, having previously secured a strong finish in the Santa Anita Derby.
Rodriguez, the Wood Memorial winner who was considered trainer Bob Baffert's best horse in this year's Kentucky Derby, scratched out of the race on Thursday after a sensitive foot bruise was discovered on the 3-year-old colt.
The horse is by all measures healthy and well," Tom Ryan... "I guess we look on the bright side and know we can now target him for the Preakness.
Ryan said the sensitivity was discovered a couple days ago and "out of an abundance of caution" the owners and Baffert thought a scratch was the right thing to do.
The same ownership group also has Citizen Bull in the race. He won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was named Eclipse 2-year-old male champion.
Collection
[
|
...
]