The Puma, one of the top horses to watch at Churchill Downs in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, is out. His trainer, Gustabo Delgado, confirmed the news, adding that swelling was discovered in the horse’s leg. An alternate will not take The Puma’s place in the starting gate.
“It’s just really bad timing,” Delgado told Churchill Downs’ Kevin Kerstein.
Why The Puma was ruled out of the Kentucky Derby
Just hours before the race was set to begin, The Puma was officially withdrawn, shrinking the field from 20 horses to 19. Delgado said on Saturday morning that the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner had developed swelling caused by a skin infection.
“We discovered some swelling in his leg due to a skin infection,” Delgado told Churchill Downs’ Kevin Kerstein. “It’s incredibly disappointing but the swelling should go down within a day or two.”
Why are there no alternates
There will be no replacement for The Puma. This is because the deadline for eligible entries has passed. Barring no other last-minute scratches, there will be 19 horses in the field for the derby. The race starts at 6:57 PM local time.
Derby connections linked to 2023 winner
The Puma entered Derby week carrying strong expectations after recent success on the prep-race circuit. The colt, sired by Essential Quality, was listed at 10-1 morning-line odds heading into Saturday’s race.
Several key figures connected to the horse were also part of the team behind 2023 Kentucky Derby champion Mage. That included Delgado, jockey Javier Castellano and co-owner OGMA Investments.
The Puma was additionally co-owned by JR Ranch, High Step Racing, TCC Stables and Bruce Zoldan.
Strong prep season ended with Florida Derby near-miss
The colt’s biggest victory came earlier this season in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, which helped cement his place in the Kentucky Derby field.
He arrived at Churchill Downs following a strong runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28. In that race, The Puma briefly appeared poised for victory before being caught late by Commandment and losing by a nose at the wire.
The Puma became the fourth horse scratched from the Kentucky Derby since last weekend’s official draw.
