Kentucky Derby 2021: King Fury scratched with a fever

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - King Fury will be scratched from Saturday’s Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever, trainer Ken McPeek said on Friday afternoon.

King Fury, winner of the Lexington Stakes on April 10, was 20-1 on the morning line for the Derby. The colt galloped 1 1/2 miles early Friday morning, but later, did not clean up his feed and was found to have a high temperature and an elevated white cell count.

"King Fury spiked a 104 fever this afternoon after he galloped this morning, went off his feed, and we obviously have to do the right thing," McPeek said in a statement. "I feel gutted for [co-owners] Paul Fireman and Goncalo Torrealba and [jockey] Brian Hernandez and all the people that have worked so hard to get him to this race, but unfortunately, he is not 100 percent. This is a horse who's been doing really well all week. Anybody who watched him train had to be impressed - I know I was."

McPeek, who will saddle Crazy Beautiful in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, did not indicate when King Fury might be able to resume training. He said of future goals, "I think you'll probably see this horse pointed towards the Travers."

There are now 19 horses prepared to start in tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. Last year, Churchill Downs began using a new custom 20-stall starting gate intended specifically for the Derby's massive field. This is the second time in as many years that that gate will not be full, as last September 15 horses started in the race.

King Fury had drawn post position 16 for the Derby. With his scratch, all the horses drawn outside of him will move in one spot, placing Highly Motivated in 16, Super Stock in 17, Soup and Sandwich in 18, and Bourbonic in 19. The program numbers remain the same.