There's a new horse to know in the 2025 Kentucky Derby starting gate

Cameron Drummond, Lexington Herald-Leader on May 1, 2025

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The only also-eligible horse for this year’s Kentucky Derby has moved into the 20-horse field for Saturday’s showcase race.

Baeza — trained by John Shirreffs and to be ridden by Flavien Prat — now has a spot in the starting gate for the 151st running of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby. Post time is 6:57 p.m. EDT Saturday for the Derby.

Baeza — owned by C R K Stable and Grandview Equine — is in the Kentucky Derby field as a result of 12-1 morning-line choice Rodriguez dropping out of the race Thursday evening.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have made a very tough decision to scratch our Derby horse, Rodriguez,” said Tom Ryan, managing partner of SF Racing, in a social media post. “He has a small but slightly sensitive foot bruise that will need a few more days. Therefore, we are resetting our plans and will target him for the Preakness.”

Baeza has 12-1 morning line odds for the Kentucky Derby.

On the road to the Kentucky Derby, Baeza accumulated 37.5 qualifying points toward the race. All of these qualifying points came as a result of finishing second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Prior to that race, Baeza had finished ninth, second and first in three maiden special weight races.

Baeza owns a 1-2-0 all-time record from four starts.

Baeza, the No. 21 horse in the Derby program, will start the race from post position No. 20, the farthest to the outside.

Rodriguez was to start from the No. 4 post, so everyone outside him will move one position closer to the rail in the starting gate. However, program and saddlecloth numbers remain unchanged for wagering purposes.

Baeza is a son of McKinzie and Puca. McKinzie was a runner in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic and finished second in that race in 2019. Puca is a Big Brown mare who finished 12th in the 2015 running of the Kentucky Oaks. Puca is also the dam of two recent Triple Crown race winners: Mage (2023 Kentucky Derby) and Dornoch (2024 Belmont Stakes).

Shirreffs, Baeza’s trainer, owns a 1 for 5 record with horses in the Derby. He was the trainer of 50-1 shot winner Giacomo in 2005.

Prat, Baeza’s jockey, also has a Kentucky Derby win on his ledger. Prat is 1 for 7 in the big race, scoring a controversial win aboard Country House following the disqualification of Maximum Security in 2019.

Prat was scheduled to ride Neoequos (trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.) in this year’s Derby, had Baeza not made the field. Luis Saez will take over the ride on Neoequos, according to the Daily Racing Form.