Practical Move out of Kentucky Derby with high temperature
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Practical Move won’t run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday because of an elevated temperature. Japanese horse Continuar also is out.
The scratches were announced Thursday.
Practical Move, the Santa Anita Derby winner, galloped in the morning and practiced standing in the starting gate.
Trainer Tim Yakteen told The Associated Press via text message that Practical Move’s temperature began to rise around 11 a.m.
The colt was the early co-fourth choice at 10-1 odds.
The scratch moves Cyclone Mischief into the 20-horse field. He finished third in the Florida Derby and was second in the Fountain of Youth. He has two wins in seven career starts for trainer Dale Romans.
Continuar was scratched because “he has not been able to reach the peak fitness required to take on a race as tough as the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi said.
As a result, King Russell moves into the field and will break from the far outside post.
Yakteen still has Reincarnate in the Derby. He took over that colt’s training from Bob Baffert, who is serving a two-year ban by Churchill Downs Inc. for a failed postrace doping test by Medina Spirit, the 2021 winner who was later disqualified.
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