A little more than 24 hours before the 151st Kentucky Derby, Grande has joined the list of scratched horses.
Grande, owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, will not race due to a bruised foot, the Derby announced, bringing the field for Saturday’s race down to 19. The move came a day after Rodriguez, the Bob Baffert-trained horse, was scratched from the race because of a bruised foot.
Advertisement
Repole said in a post on social media that Grande had been fighting through a cracked heel, but that an X-ray and PET scan earlier this week came back clean. He said he was “shocked and confused” at why the decision was made now.
“The heel has improved throughout the week and it also improved again this morning,” Repole wrote on X. “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.”‘
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
Grande was set to break from post position No. 10, with 10-1 betting odds. Bred by KatieRich Farms in Kentucky, Grande has made just three starts, all coming in 2025. Grande picked up a win at Gulfstream Park in January and finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial with respectable speed and strength.
Repole also had a horse (Forte) scratched from the Derby two years ago.
Grande was the fourth betting favorite
Grande was rising up the Kentucky Derby odds board after the Rodriguez scratch. The Pletcher-trained horse opened at 20-1 on the morning line, but his odds had shortened to 10-1 by Thursday afternoon, as high as the fourth betting favorite, before the news broke. — Vik Chokshi
(Photo: Matt Stone / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Léon Marchand beat out by Bobby Finke in 400-meter IM in French star’s first post-Olympic meet
Nine months ago, Léon Marchand blew away the field in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2024 Olympics, the first leg of the loudest breakout in the Paris Games. He had less fortune in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday.In his first meet since winning four gold medals in his native country, Marchand was edged by Bobby Finke in the 400-meter IM at a Tyr Pro Series meet, losing by 0.19 seconds on a dramatic last-lap comeback by the American.Marchand was significantly trailing after the butterfly and backstroke legs, but dominated the breaststroke enough to hold a small lead heading into the freestyle.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBefore anyone starts speculating on the 22-year-old Marchand losing a step, it's worth noting that he has dealt with shoulder and rib injuries since the Olympics and only recently started training with coach Bob Bowman again, per SwimSwam. He […]
Triston Casas injury: Red Sox first baseman suffers ‘significant knee injury’ vs. Twins
USATSI Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a "significant knee injury" on a play at first base during Friday night's win over the Minnesota Twins (BOS 6, MIN 1), manager Alex Cora announced after the game (via MassLive.com). The Red Sox have not yet revealed the exact nature of the injury or any further details, including a recovery time.Casas suffered the injury when he hit first base awkwardly trying to beat out an infield single in the second inning. He hit the bag and immediately crumbled to the ground, grabbing his left knee. Casas had to be carted off the field. Here's the play:This is the second major injury in as many years for Casas. He missed four months with a rib fracture last season. Casas has started this season slowly (Friday's 0 for 1 dropped him to […]
Wings’ Paige Bueckers gets first shot at WNBA defenses in preseason debut loss to Aces
The WNBA preseason tipped off Friday with Paige Bueckers making her pro debut for the Dallas Wings against the Las Vegas Aces.Facing an Aces squad returning four starters from their back-to-back title teams in 2022-23, plus two-time champion Jewell Loyd in the mix, Dallas faced an uphill battle as Las Vegas won in a rout 112-78.AdvertisementJackie Young starred in her return to South Bend, Ind., scoring 28 points and adding nine assists as Aces coach Becky Hammon extended Young’s minutes into the fourth quarter to the delight of Notre Dame fans. Young was particularly effective getting to the line, taking a career-best 13 free throws and making all of them.Fellow Fighting Irish alums Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale had more muted performances, combining for 15 points. Loyd was tasked as Bueckers’ primary defender, however, and was in a defensive stance uncommon […]
Angels GM Perry Minasian discusses poor play: ‘We’re going to roll with what we have’
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels have won just four of their last 18 games. They entered the weekend with MLB’s lowest on-base percentage, second-highest strikeout rate, and a slew of very bad offensive numbers over their first 30 games.General manager Perry Minasian sat down with reporters Friday to discuss his team’s poor play.Advertisement“I think teams go through stretches,” he said. “You know, teams go through stretches where they don’t swing the bat well. When you don’t swing the bat, you’re gonna have some numbers that aren’t flashy, right?“But you can pick a six-game stretch, 10-game stretch, from anybody and point to certain times where, man, they’re really struggling, and offensively they haven’t scored.”The issue for the Angels, however, is that the offensive struggles have gone far beyond six or 10 games. It’s been three full weeks of offensive […]
Max Fried dominates Rays: 1.01 ERA is lowest in Yankees’ history through seven starts
Imagn Images Once again, Max Fried played stopper for the New York Yankees. Fried held the Tampa Bay Rays to one hit (a single) in seven shutout innings Friday night to get the Yankees back into the win column (NY 3, TB 0). He has allowed one unearned run in four starts and 27 2/3 innings following a Yankees' loss this year, and is 6-0 in seven starts overall."The different ways he can beat you," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked what impressed him most about Fried's outing. "There were a couple innings where he was kind of reining in his command a little bit. Some of the innings he's ripping off some good breaking balls, some of the innings he's adding and subtracting on his heater."Fried struck out six Rays (three on sliders and one each on a […]
Paige Bueckers makes WNBA preseason debut with Wings: Takeaways from No. 1 pick’s first professional game
Getty Images Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, made her preseason debut on Friday night during the Dallas Wings' 112-78 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in South Bend, Indiana. In addition to being Bueckers' first appearance in a Wings jersey, the contest served as a homecoming for former Notre Dame stars Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young. Bueckers started for the Wings, and while she didn't have a huge impact, she made a very solid account of herself over 22 minutes. She finished with 10 points on 4 of 7 from the field, four rebounds and one assist. Her first basket came in style on a drive and scoop finish with her left hand. The Wings' second and final preseason game will take place on May 10 against the Toyota Antelopes from the […]
Related
Léon Marchand beat out by Bobby Finke in 400-meter IM in French star’s first post-Olympic meet
Nine months ago, Léon Marchand blew away the field in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2024 Olympics, the first leg of the loudest breakout in the Paris Games. He had less fortune in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday.In his first meet since winning four gold medals in his native country, Marchand was edged by Bobby Finke in the 400-meter IM at a Tyr Pro Series meet, losing by 0.19 seconds on a dramatic last-lap comeback by the American.Marchand was significantly trailing after the butterfly and backstroke legs, but dominated the breaststroke enough to hold a small lead heading into the freestyle.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBefore anyone starts speculating on the 22-year-old Marchand losing a step, it's worth noting that he has dealt with shoulder and rib injuries since the Olympics and only recently started training with coach Bob Bowman again, per SwimSwam. He […]
Triston Casas injury: Red Sox first baseman suffers ‘significant knee injury’ vs. Twins
USATSI Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a "significant knee injury" on a play at first base during Friday night's win over the Minnesota Twins (BOS 6, MIN 1), manager Alex Cora announced after the game (via MassLive.com). The Red Sox have not yet revealed the exact nature of the injury or any further details, including a recovery time.Casas suffered the injury when he hit first base awkwardly trying to beat out an infield single in the second inning. He hit the bag and immediately crumbled to the ground, grabbing his left knee. Casas had to be carted off the field. Here's the play:This is the second major injury in as many years for Casas. He missed four months with a rib fracture last season. Casas has started this season slowly (Friday's 0 for 1 dropped him to […]
Wings’ Paige Bueckers gets first shot at WNBA defenses in preseason debut loss to Aces
The WNBA preseason tipped off Friday with Paige Bueckers making her pro debut for the Dallas Wings against the Las Vegas Aces.Facing an Aces squad returning four starters from their back-to-back title teams in 2022-23, plus two-time champion Jewell Loyd in the mix, Dallas faced an uphill battle as Las Vegas won in a rout 112-78.AdvertisementJackie Young starred in her return to South Bend, Ind., scoring 28 points and adding nine assists as Aces coach Becky Hammon extended Young’s minutes into the fourth quarter to the delight of Notre Dame fans. Young was particularly effective getting to the line, taking a career-best 13 free throws and making all of them.Fellow Fighting Irish alums Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale had more muted performances, combining for 15 points. Loyd was tasked as Bueckers’ primary defender, however, and was in a defensive stance uncommon […]
Angels GM Perry Minasian discusses poor play: ‘We’re going to roll with what we have’
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels have won just four of their last 18 games. They entered the weekend with MLB’s lowest on-base percentage, second-highest strikeout rate, and a slew of very bad offensive numbers over their first 30 games.General manager Perry Minasian sat down with reporters Friday to discuss his team’s poor play.Advertisement“I think teams go through stretches,” he said. “You know, teams go through stretches where they don’t swing the bat well. When you don’t swing the bat, you’re gonna have some numbers that aren’t flashy, right?“But you can pick a six-game stretch, 10-game stretch, from anybody and point to certain times where, man, they’re really struggling, and offensively they haven’t scored.”The issue for the Angels, however, is that the offensive struggles have gone far beyond six or 10 games. It’s been three full weeks of offensive […]
Max Fried dominates Rays: 1.01 ERA is lowest in Yankees’ history through seven starts
Imagn Images Once again, Max Fried played stopper for the New York Yankees. Fried held the Tampa Bay Rays to one hit (a single) in seven shutout innings Friday night to get the Yankees back into the win column (NY 3, TB 0). He has allowed one unearned run in four starts and 27 2/3 innings following a Yankees' loss this year, and is 6-0 in seven starts overall."The different ways he can beat you," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked what impressed him most about Fried's outing. "There were a couple innings where he was kind of reining in his command a little bit. Some of the innings he's ripping off some good breaking balls, some of the innings he's adding and subtracting on his heater."Fried struck out six Rays (three on sliders and one each on a […]
Paige Bueckers makes WNBA preseason debut with Wings: Takeaways from No. 1 pick’s first professional game
Getty Images Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, made her preseason debut on Friday night during the Dallas Wings' 112-78 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in South Bend, Indiana. In addition to being Bueckers' first appearance in a Wings jersey, the contest served as a homecoming for former Notre Dame stars Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young. Bueckers started for the Wings, and while she didn't have a huge impact, she made a very solid account of herself over 22 minutes. She finished with 10 points on 4 of 7 from the field, four rebounds and one assist. Her first basket came in style on a drive and scoop finish with her left hand. The Wings' second and final preseason game will take place on May 10 against the Toyota Antelopes from the […]
Be the first to leave a comment