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Right to Party becomes third Kentucky Derby scratch, opening door for Robusta
TL;DR
Right to Party has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby, marking the third withdrawal in as many days. This change allows Robusta to enter the race, giving trainer Doug O’Neill another contender.
Key points
- Right to Party scratched from Kentucky Derby
- Third consecutive withdrawal from the race
- Robusta enters the race from the also-eligible list
- Robusta has one maiden victory in five starts
- Trainer Doug O’Neill now has two horses in the Derby
Kentucky Derby
Right to Party, above working out at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby on Friday. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Another day, another change in the Kentucky Derby field, with this one adding another Southern California horse to the starting gate.
Right to Party was scratched Friday morning, the third straight day a horse has been withdrawn, following Silent Tactic and Fulleffort. The latest change brings Robusta off the also-eligible list, giving trainer Doug O’Neill a second horse in Saturday’s race.
Robusta, a Calumet Farm homebred sired by Accelerate, has only a maiden victory from five career starts. His best race was March 7 at Santa Anita when he finished just a head behind Potente in the San Felipe Stakes at odds of 67-1. But in his next start, he faded to last in the Santa Anita Derby.
Read more: California trainers have long shots in the Kentucky Derby hunt
Emisael Jaramillo originally was named to ride Robusta in the Kentucky Derby, but the Daily Racing Form reported the jockey will keep his commitments Saturday at Santa Anita and Cristian Torres will be aboard Robusta. Torres had been set to ride Silent Tactic.
O’Neill, who won the Derby in 2012 and 2016, also will start Pavlovian, who won the Sunland Park Derby and was second in the Louisiana Derby. The other Derby horses based in Southern California are Mark Glatt’s So Happy, Jeff Mullins’ Intrepido and Bob Baffert’s pair of Potente and Litmus Test.
Q&A
Why was Right to Party scratched from the Kentucky Derby?
Right to Party was scratched on Friday morning, but the specific reason for the withdrawal was not detailed.
Who is Robusta and what are his chances in the Kentucky Derby?
Robusta, trained by Doug O’Neill, is a horse with one maiden victory from five starts and will compete in the Kentucky Derby after being moved off the also-eligible list.
What other horses have been scratched from the Kentucky Derby?
In addition to Right to Party, both Silent Tactic and Fulleffort were also scratched from the Kentucky Derby in the days leading up to the race.