Geaux Rocket Ride scratched from Santa Anita Derby with temperature

ARCADIA, Calif. – The exciting two-start colt Geaux Rocket Ride is off the Kentucky Derby trail after he spiked a temperature Saturday that necessitated his scratch from the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

Richard Mandella trains Geaux Rocket Ride, who followed his debut sprint romp with an outstanding runner-up finish behind Practical Move in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth. The Santa Anita Derby on Saturday would have been his third start.

“This morning he was a normal temperature and he galloped fine,” Mandella said. “We fed him a little breakfast later and he didn’t even look at it. That told us something’s wrong.”

Mandella took Geaux Rocket Ride’s temperature again at about 8:30 a.m. It had jumped to 1:03.20.

“He picked up a virus or something,” Mandella said late Saturday morning. “We’ve taken bloodwork. We don’t know what it looks like yet; it’s too early.”

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Geaux Rocket Ride is a Candy Ride colt owned by Jim and Dana Bernhard’s Pin Oak Stud. The colt was 3-1 co-second choice on the Santa Anita Derby morning line and was expected to set the pace. The setback knocks Geaux Rocket Ride out of the Kentucky Derby picture. He has only 20 qualifying points, far below the estimated 40-point minimum requirement. He also is short on experience.

Mandella’s entrants in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, Venganza and Window Shopping, were fine as of late Saturday morning. Mandella said” “We’ll take their temperate again,” to make sure. “Sometimes these things go right through (the barn).”

The scratch of Geaux Rocket Ride makes National Treasure the sole second choice for the Santa Anita Derby at 5-2. Practical Move is the program favorite at 6-5; Skinner is the third choice at 3-1. The scratch of Geaux Rocket Ride makes longshots One in Vermillion or Low Expectations candidates to set the pace.

* There was one defection from the Santa Anita Oaks as of late morning. Princess Bettina is scratched.

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