2023 Kentucky Derby: Three horses scratched from the field
The field for the 2023 Kentucky Derby looks a little different this morning.
Three horses were scratched from the field on Thursday, each for varying reasons. Winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Practical Move had the fourth-best odds in the field, listed as a 10-1 choice for Saturday’s Run for the Roses. In a statement released by Churchill Downs, Practical Move’s trainer Tim Yakteen noted that the horse had an “elevated temperature.”
The next horse that was scratched was Lord Miles, due to a suspension handed down by Churchill Downs Inc. to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. following two “highly-unusual sudden deaths of his horses.” In a statement from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the Board of Stewards said as follows:
“For the betterment of racing, the health and welfare of our equine athletes, and the safety of our jockeys, all horses trained by trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. are scratched effective immediately and until further notice. This action is taken after consultation with Mr. Joseph, and includes Lord Miles who was entered into the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.”
The third scratch? Continuar. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi felt that the horse was not ready to take on the Kentucky Derby. “After evaluating the colt upon my arrival, I feel that he has not been able to reach the peak fitness required to take on a race as tough as the Kentucky Derby,” Yahagi said in a statement on Thursday night. “Considering the future of the horse and the fact that we cannot show the horse’s true ability in his current state, we have decided to scratch Continuar from the Kentucky Derby. I am very sorry that I cannot participate in the world’s number one horse racing festival, however I sincerely hope to return to the Derby in the future. I want to thank everyone who has supported Continuar and Yahagi Stable on this journey.”
With the three scratches, three new horses move into the field. Mandarin Hero slides into Continuar’s spot, while Practical Move will be replaced by Cyclone Mischief. Lord Miles’s spot will now go to King Russell.
Here are the current odds for the new field, which may change as the race gets closer.
