Kentucky Derby Handicapping: How Scratched Horses Will Affect Race
It was a day to remember on Thursday, but not in a good way, for the Kentucky Derby as three horses in one day were forced to withdraw and have substitutes replace them. Practical Move (10-1), Lord Miles (30-1), and Continuar (50-1) were all scratched for a variety of different reasons.
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Starting the parade of withdraws was Practical Move. When it was noticed that he wasn't eating with the same gusto that he usually does, his trainer Tim Yakteen took his temperature and it was discovered that he had developed a slight fever. Not wanting to jeopardize the colt's safety, Yakteen opted for the side of caution and removed him from the card. Derby hopeful Cyclone Mischief (30-1) was elevated into the starting field.
Later in the day, Lord Miles was scratched after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission banned all of the remaining horses that were trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr after two of his other mounts died in the last few days of racing. The 2nd-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby, Mandarin Hero, got the starting nod. Luckily for the trainer Terunobu Fujita, the horse that won the Santa Anita was Practical Move.
Continuar was the last of the trio to be scratched Thursday evening after his trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, determined that the colt's level of fitness was lacking. The last of the eligible entrants, King Russell (50-1) was selected to fill in for the unfit colt.
All of the horses that were drawn outside of Practical Move and his post-10 position will all move up one slot. Cyclone Mischief, Mandarin Hero, and King Russell will wear numbers 21, 22, and 23, respectively.
While there may be more withdraws before Saturday's race, no other horses that had earned enough points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby had applied for nomination.
While two of the scratched horses were long shots, the 10-1 Practical Move was a heavy favorite by both experts and the public. Removing him from the field opens up a bevy of interesting scenarios and will drastically affect the odds on the medium-priced horses like Angel of Empire and Verifying.
While it's easy to say that these three newcomers don't have a shot at winning on Saturday, you only have to look to last year's monumental upset win of Rich Strike at 80-1 odds to realize that these horses could potentially make Derby history.
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