The Puma has been scratched from Kentucky Derby 152

One of the trendy picks going into the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby has been scratched just hours away from the big race. The Puma, who opened the week with fifth-best odds at 10-1 before exploding as the co-favorite at 5-1 going into Saturday, has been ruled out due to swelling.

Derby officials announced the news early this morning, followed by a statement from the horse’s trainer, Gustavo Delgado Sr.

“We discovered some swelling in his leg due to a skin infection,” he said. “It’s incredibly disappointing, but the swelling should go down within a day or two. It’s just really bad timing.”

Jonathon Kinchen, best known as UT Big Hair, singled out The Puma as a sneaky Derby pick with good value on Friday’s episode of KSR.

“The Puma, I think, is very interesting,” UT Big Hair said. “It’s a horse that these connections won with Mage a few years back — same silk, same trainer, same owners, same rider. He’s been training really well, he’s been working and running really well. … He’s one that I think will probably get a little ignored and he should creep up a little bit in price.”

The Puma is the fifth horse to be scratched, joining Right to Party, Silent Tactic, Fulleffort and Corona de Oro. That leaves just 19 horses in the field ahead of the race at 6:57 p.m. ET.

UPDATED DERBY FIELD/MORNING LINE

1. Renegade (5-1)
   • Trainer: Todd Pletcher
   • Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
   • Owner: Mike Repole, Robert and Lawana Low
2. Albus (50-1)
   • Trainer: Riley Mott
   • Jockey: Manny Franco
   • Owner: Pin Oak Stud
3. Intrepido (55-1)
   • Trainer: Jeff Mullins
   • Jockey: Hector Berrios
   • Owner: Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures
4. Litmus Test (34-1)
   • Trainer: Bob Baffert
   • Jockey: Martin Garcia
   • Owner: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
5. Right to Party (SCRATCHED)
   • Trainer: Kenny McPeek
   • Jockey: Chris Elliott
   • Owner: Chester Broman
6. Commandment (7-1)
   • Trainer: Brad Cox
   • Jockey: Luis Saez
   • Owner: Wathnan Racing
7. Danon Bourbon (14-1)
   • Trainer: Manabu Ikezoe
   • Jockey: Atsuya Nishimura
   • Owner: Danox Co.
8. So Happy (6-1)
   • Trainer: Mark Glatt
   • Jockey: Mike Smith
   • Owner: Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners
9. The Puma (SCRATCHED)
   • Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
   • Jockey: Javier Castellano
   • Owner: OGMA Investments, JR Ranch and High Step Racing
10. Wonder Dean (20-1)
    • Trainer: Daisuke Takayanagi
    • Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
    • Owner: Yoshinari Yamamoto
11. Incredibolt (27-1)
    • Trainer: Riley Mott
    • Jockey: Jaime Torres
    • Owner: Pin Oak Stud
12. Chief Wallabee (9-1)
    • Trainer: Bill Mott
    • Jockey: Junior Alvarado
    • Owner: Mike and Katherine Ball
13. Silent Tactic (SCRATCHED)
    • Trainer: Mark Casse
    • Jockey: Cristian Torres
    • Owner: John Oxley
14. Potente (23-1)
    • Trainer: Bob Baffert
    • Jockey: Juan Hernandez
    • Owner: Speedway Stables
15. Emerging Market (11-1)
    • Trainer: Chad Brown
    • Jockey: Flavien Prat
    • Owner: Klaravich Stables
16. Pavlovian (52-1)
    • Trainer: Doug O’Neill
    • Jockey: Edwin Maldonado
    • Owner: Reddam Racing
17. Six Speed (40-1)
    • Trainer: Bhupat Seemar
    • Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. 
    • Owner: Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson and Swinbank Stables
18. Further Ado (7-1)
    • Trainer: Brad Cox
    • Jockey: John Velazquez
    • Owner: Spendthrift Farm
19. Golden Tempo (36-1)
    • Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
    • Jockey: Jose Ortiz 
    • Owner: Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable
20. Fulleffort (SCRATCHED)
    • Trainer: Brad Cox
    • Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
    • Owner: St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing
21. Great White (29-1)
    • Trainer: John Ennis
    • Jockey: Alex Achard
    • Owner: Three Chimneys Farm (Goncalo B. Torrealba) & John Ennis
22. Ocelli (50-1)
    • Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman
    • Jockey: Joe Ramos
    • Owner: Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate & Front Page Equestrian LLC
23. Robusta (50-1)
    • Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill
    • Jockey: Cristian Torres
    • Owner: Calumet Farm
24. Corona de Oro (SCRATCHED)
    • Trainer: Dallas Stewart
    • Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
    • Owner: On Our Own Stable, Commonwealth Stable, U Racing Stables, Saints or Sinners, Titletown Racing