Bob Baffert's Rodriguez Scratched from Kentucky Derby with Foot Injury, Preakness Eyed

Bob Baffert-trained horse Rodriguez was scratched from the 2025 Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury.

Baffert revealed that Rodriguez "needed a few more days" to be ready to race and is still planning to enter the horse in The Preakness Stakes on May 17, per The Athletic.

Citizen Bull, Baffert's other horse in the Derby, is still set to compete and will start from the No. 1 post position.

Rodriguez was one of the favorites to win the race, owning 6-1 odds before the news broke (via The Athletic).

The health of Rodriguez doesn't appear to be a long-term issue. Tom Ryan, who heads Rodriguez’s ownership group, was optimistic about the three-year-old colt's availability moving forward.

“The horse is by all measures healthy and well,” Ryan said, per John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times. “I guess we look on the bright side and know we can now target him for the Preakness."

"Of all the possible setbacks, this is the one we can live with," he added.

The defection of Rodriguez means that fellow three-year-old colt Baeza will now be part of the Derby. Trained by John Sheriffs, Baeza is coming off a runner-up finish at the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

Rodriguez was scheduled to begin the Derby at the No. 4 post position. Now, every other horse behind No. 4 will move up one position and Baeza will slide into the No. 20 spot.

The 2025 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, with a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET.