2024 Kentucky Derby: Encino scratched, Epic Ride draws in

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Encino, the Lexington Stakes winner, has been withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby due to a soft tissue strain in his right front leg, trainer Brad Cox said Tuesday afternoon.

The scratch of Encino allows Epic Ride into the field and leaves Mugatu one deep on the also-eligible list. Encino drew post 9. Horses that were drawn in posts 10 through 20 will now move in one spot. Mugatu would need a scratch by 9 a.m. Friday to get into the race.

Cox said Encino galloped in the first set of horses Tuesday morning over the Churchill main track. Back at the barn the horse showed signs of being off. The horse was vanned to Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood and Riddle Hospital in Lexington, Ky., where X-rays taken were negative but the soft tissue strain was diagnosed.

“He galloped first thing this morning, he looked amazing. That’s what’s so confusing,” Cox said. “He was traveling as well this morning as he was all last week leading up to his breeze.”

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It was his eye-catching breeze Saturday morning that convinced his connections to enter Encino in the Kentucky Derby. Encino, owned by Godolphin Racing, earned his way into the Derby with a front-running victory in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 13, the last Derby qualifying points race to be run. Prior to that, Encino had won two of three starts over Turfway’s synthetic surface including the John Battaglia Stakes.

Cox, who will still get to run Catching Freedom and Just a Touch in the Derby, is hopeful Encino won’t be sidelined too long.

“Obviously, the timing of it is not good, but we’ll be fine,” Cox said. “I think it’s something we can back off, give him some time, and have a fresh horse in 30 days.”

John Ennis, the trainer of Epic Ride, third in the Blue Grass, as naturally pleased to hear his horse gets the opportunity to run.

“It’s fantastic. It's a huge achievement for a smaller barn like us to get in, just privileged to be a part of it,” said Ennis, who has Adam Beschizza to ride.

Epic Ride finished second to Encino in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park before running third behind Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass.

“I think he fits the race really good,” Ennis said. “There’s a lot of speed on paper and we got enough tactical speed to be wherever we want. We can look to get a good spot where he’s not to close, but not too far away either.”

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