With the Kentucky Derby just a few days away, we’re beginning to see quite a few shakeups in the lineup. First, it was Bob Baffert making the surprise decision to take Madaket Road out of contention and move him to the Pat Day Mile Stakes. “That’s sort of been our goal all along, that’s [Pat Day Mile Stakes] a better distance for him,” Baffert had stated earlier this month. This meant he would have two starters at the Kentucky Derby, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. Then we had Aron Wellman do the same for his horse, Built. And now, we have another exit from the race, for reasons far from being strategic.

As a contender for the 2025 Kentucky Derby title, Tappan Street breezed five furlongs in 59.60 seconds on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, and it was after this that jockey Luis Saez noticed something unusual, trainer Brad Cox confirmed. The Florida Derby winner was immediately taken for an X-ray test at the barn.

Reports started pouring in shortly after confirming Tappan Street, who had odds of 10-1 of winning the event, if it wasn’t for his injury. , has pulled out due to a condylar fracture in his right front foreleg. During an interview, Cox gave details on the situation and the status of the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief. He said, “He has a little crack. It does require surgery, and obviously, he is out of the Derby.” But the looming concern is, was it career-ending, considering his career saw quite a promising start with a 2-1-0 record in just three starts?

Much to everyone’s relief, “I don’t think it’s career-ending or anything,” Cox said. “We’re just focused on getting him moved. I really don’t think it’s a big issue. Any time you put a horse under anesthesia for surgery it’s always something but I feel pretty confident that he is going to be fine.” Interestingly, if it wasn’t for the injury, Tappan Street would have been well into becoming only the fifth horse to win the Kentucky Derby after three career starts. So, who replaces Tappan Street?

Tappan Street’s exit from the Kentucky Derby puts Render Judgement in. The colt is the No. 20 horse in the race, and 2024 Kentucky Derby winner/trainer Kenny McPeek said, “He’s going to have to run the race of his life. We’re going to have to have a lot of things go right, but physically, he’s doing super. I don’t have any excuse not to run him because of health. And, look, it is a dream for many people, and I’m gonna go with that dream.”

Tappan Street’s withdrawal has seriously boosted the chances of his rivals, namely Bob Baffert’s contenders in Rodriguez and Citizen Bull. Baffert, who is vying for winning a record seven Kentucky Derby titles and is currently tied with Ben Jones for the most Kentucky Derby wins at six, will be looking for a redemptive comeback after being stripped of his 2021 title after Medina Spirit failed a drug test.

Apart from Tappan Street, other names withdrew from the grand event, with the likes of Flood Zone, Heart of Honor, and Owen Almighty all pulling out of the race on May 3. This has come as a blessing in disguise for Bob Baffert, who is making a comeback at Churchill Downs. Ahead of the Derby, he opened up about his chances of winning the title.

Bob Baffert is closer than ever to a record win

With two contenders in the fray, Bob Baffert has one of the best chances of winning this year’s Kentucky Derby. Despite his first appearance after four years, owing to his suspension, Baffert is confident about putting on a good show at Churchill Downs. During an interview last week, he opened up about his expectations from the race.

Baffert said, “I’m going to have fun now that everything is behind me. Going back with a live horse is more important to me. I really feel like this year I have two horses that could be in the top five, top 10. The Derby is a great experience if you have a horse that’s capable and has a chance.”

Meanwhile, Bob Baffert is looking to put behind a lengthy controversy with Churchill Downs, after his horse tested positive in 2021. While he is back after a long time, his horses were able to compete in the other Triple Crown races, and he even won the Preakness in 2023 for the eighth time.

“It’s going to be like I never left, because when I went back there in November, it was normal,” Baffert stated earlier this week about his first time at Churchill Downs in years. He has settled into his old Barn 33. With just a few days left for the Kentucky Derby, what do you think about Baffert’s chances of winning? Let us know your views in the comments below.