LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The field for Kentucky Derby 151 is down to 19 horses. Grande, owned by Repole Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, is out of Saturday's race because of a foot bruise, Churchill Downs publicist Kevin Kerstein announced on X. 

Grande is the second scratch from this year's 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds. Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, was scratched Thursday afternoon because of a foot bruise and will be replaced by Baeza, trained by John Shireffs. 

“Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande,” owner Mike Repole posted Friday on X. “He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving.”

Repole said various diagnostic tests on Grande came back clean, including a PET scan requested by Kentucky state veterinarians. He said the 3-year-old colt had been “training and looking great” on the track all week.

“We were very confused with all the clean diagnostics and improvement all week, why they rushed to judgment to scratch today,” Repole wrote.

“We are also shocked and confused why this decision was made now. We were given no real explanation why Grande was scratched 36 hours before the race.”

Repole has had this happen twice before. In 2011, Uncle Mo was scratched the day before the race because of a gastrointestinal infection. In 2023, Forte was scratched the morning of the race due to a bruised right front foot. The self-made billionaire from New York is 0-for-8 in the Derby.

“We all love these horses and our number one concern is the safety and welfare of these amazing Thoroughbreds. That is, and should always be the priority,” Repole wrote. “With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when…especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound.”

The horse, which was set to start from Post 10 and 20-1 on the morning line, was to be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez. The scratch leaves Pletcher — a two-time Derby-winning trainer with Always Dreaming (2017) and Super Saver (2010) — without any horses in this year's field. This is the first Derby since 2003 that Pletcher has not had a horse in the field; he has had 65 horses run since his first Derby in 2000, with a record of 2-2-4. 

"Similar to what Bob [Baffert] had with Rodriguez," Pletcher said. "My colt had a bruised foot, and it's better notto run him now." 

It's the second time in the last three years a horse trained by Pletcher had been scratched, as morning-line favorite Forte was scratched by veterinarians on the morning of Derby 149 in 2023. 

Post time for Derby 151 is 6:57 p.m. eastern on Saturday, May 3.