Kentucky Derby hits latest snag after early favorite Forte scratched from race

The cast of characters for the 149th Kentucky Derby was rewritten again hours before the race Saturday when early favorite Forte was scratched.

It was the fifth scratch from the Derby in the days leading up to the $3m race for three-year-olds, the first time that many were scratched since 1936. Five horses have died at Churchill Downs in recent days.

Forte had been the early 3-1 favorite; his absence reduces the field to 18 horses for the one-and-a-quarter-mile race.

Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said veterinarians from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had concerns about a bruised right front foot.

Forte stumbled during a workout on Thursday, although trainer Todd Pletcher had downplayed it. He still has two horses in the race: Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.

A crowd of about 150,000 is expected to jam Churchill Downs to wager and watch the Derby. Post time is 6.57pm ET.

The horse deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, although investigators have yet to determine a cause for the deaths of his horses.

Four horses were scratched – Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner – in recent days. Practical Move and Skinner had fevers, while Continuar wasn’t in peak condition, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Joseph’s Derby horse.

Forte was last year’s two-year-old champion and has a five-race winning streak.

New antidoping and medication rules to be enforced by the sport’s new central governing body won’t take effect until 22 May, after the Derby and the Preakness.