LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Another late change hit the Kentucky Derby field Friday morning, as trainer Kenny McPeek's Right to Party was scratched after failing a veterinary exam at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed to several outlets that state regulatory veterinarians were scratching the colt for unsoundness. The colt was officially scratched due to right front lameness following morning training hours.
Right to Party was set to make just his fifth career start after earning a Derby berth with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 4 at Aqueduct. The lightly raced colt had been one of the more intriguing newcomers in the field.
The scratch continues a week of attrition leading up to the Derby, following the withdrawals of Fulleffort on Thursday and Silent Tactic earlier in the week.
Robusta, trained by Doug O'Neill, will draw into the field and start from post position No. 5. O'Neill also trains Pavlovian, giving him two entries in Saturday's race.
McPeek, who swept both the Kentucky Oaks and Derby in 2024, will now be without a starter in this year's Derby field.
The scratch moves Doug O'Neill's Robusta into the field. The Accelerate colt ran seventh in the Santa Anita Derby but was second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes before that. Robusta is owned by Calumet Farm and is 1-1-0 on five lifetime starts.
In the Oaks, Churchill Downs said Friday morning that trainer Whit Beckman has withdrawn Nycon from the Kentucky Oaks. The Nyquist filly had not won at 3, but ran third in the Grade 3 Gazelle to qualify. Beckman told The Daily Racing Form that he'd become concerned about inconsistencies in her gait.
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