Right to Party Scratched; Robusta Draws Into 2026 Kentucky Derby

The Scratch: Right to Party Is Out

On the morning of May 1 — one day before the 152nd Kentucky Derby — Right to Party, the Kenny McPeek-trained Post 5 runner, was scratched from the race by state regulatory veterinarians. A PET scan revealed severe remodeling in the distal end of the cannon bone, consistent with a developing condylar fracture issue. Veterinarians flagged the concern after observing the horse during a jogging session.

Right to Party had been assigned Post 5 at 26-1 odds. He was one of three primary speed horses in our pace analysis — alongside Six Speed (Post 17) and Pavlovian (Post 16) — and had been projected to play a meaningful role in setting a contested early pace. His absence is unfortunate for the horse and connections, but from a racing perspective it is the right call. A condylar fracture concern at this level of competition is not a risk worth taking.

This is the third Derby scratch in four days: Silent Tactic (bruised foot, April 29), Fulleffort (ankle bone chip, April 30), and now Right to Party (cannon bone concern, May 1).

What It Means for the Pace

Right to Party's role in the pace scenario was real. He is a natural front-runner who has never shown an ability to rate — Post 5 gave him a clean path to clear the early traffic and fight for the lead against Six Speed and Pavlovian.

With him out, the pace setup shifts slightly. Two contested speed horses remain (Six Speed and Pavlovian), and Renegade from the rail will still push early. Our half-mile projection adjusts modestly — from the original :44.1–:44.4 to approximately :44.2–:44.5 — but this remains a genuinely contested pace scenario. The structure of our tickets doesn't change. Commandment from Post 6 can still sit third or fourth in ideal position while the remaining speed horses push each other. The Puma (Post 9) still has a hot pace to run at.

The honest adjustment: the pace is now slightly less suicidal, which mildly reduces the edge for deep closers like Golden Tempo. But moderately fast is still fast enough at Churchill Downs. Our picks are unchanged.

Robusta Draws In: Who Is He?

With Right to Party out, the also-eligible list activates. Robusta, trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, draws into the 2026 Kentucky Derby at Post 5 at odds of 50-1.

Doug O'Neill is not an unfamiliar name at Churchill Downs — he won the 2012 Kentucky Derby with I'll Have Another at 15-1. He now enters the 152nd running with two horses: Pavlovian (Post 16) and Robusta (Post 5). Having a trainer with dual entry is always worth noting for tactical positioning, though the situations are different enough that there is no obvious strategic play.

Robusta is a 50-1 longshot with limited graded form. He belongs in the deepest layer of Superfecta chaos tickets only — the 10-cent combinations where a dollar covers multiple scenarios. He is not a win bet, not a trifecta key, and not a serious contender in most handicapping frameworks.

Updated Field Summary

The 2026 Kentucky Derby field remains at 20 runners. Three horses have scratched and three also-eligibles have drawn in:

• Silent Tactic (Mark Casse) — scratched April 29, bruised foot → Great White (John Ennis, Post 21) draws in
• Fulleffort (Brad Cox) — scratched April 30, ankle bone chip → Ocelli (Whit Beckman, Post 20) draws in
• Right to Party (Kenny McPeek) — scratched May 1, cannon bone remodeling → Robusta (Doug O'Neill, Post 5) draws in

Our handicapping order is unchanged: Commandment (Post 6) is the top play, The Puma (Post 9) remains the primary value target, and Golden Tempo (Post 19) is the dark horse anchor in deep Superfectas. Post time Saturday, May 2 at 6:57 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.