Kentucky Derby favorite Omaha Beach has been diagnosed with a respiratory condition that will keep him out of the sport's biggest race of the year.
Omaha Beach, the winner of the Arkansas Derby, was made the 4-1 favorite Tuesday for the race after drawing the No. 12 post in the 20-horse field for the race. He was diagnosed with an entrapped epiglottis, a condition that affects breathing in horses.
"He was coughing, which made us suspicious, and we scoped him," trainer Richard Mandella said, according to the Daily Racing Form. "It's not anything we can fix to have him run on Saturday, so we're going to have to scratch him."
An entrapped epiglottis typically is not considered a career-threatening issue. It usually requires minor surgery.
With Mandella's horse sidelined, Bob Baffert's chances of winning again at Churchill Downs improve significantly. His horses Game Winner (5-1), Roadster (6-1) and Improbable (6-1) were given the next-best odds of winning.
With Omaha Beach being scratched, Bodexpress moves into the field at the No. 20 post.
