The 151st Kentucky Derby lost two starters this week as Rodriguez and Grande scratched because of hoof bruises. With the addition of Baeza, Saturday’s Run for the Roses will go off with a field of 19.

The scratches took the top two runners in the Wood Memorial out of the Kentucky Derby and halved the chances for trainer Bob Baffert to saddle a seventh winner of the race.

When Medina Spirit was stripped of the Kentucky Derby victory in 2021 after failing a drug test, Baffert served a suspension that kept him out of the previous three races. He returned this year with Rodriguez and Citizen Bull, last year’s top 2-year-old.

Rodriguez likely wasn’t going to be the betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby despite Rodriguez’s major prep victory at the Wood and the Baffert connection.

Journalism was established as the morning-line favorite at the post-position draw one week ago. Journalism also had the backing of bettors, at least through Friday night. At 3-1 in the morning line, Journalism was at 7-2 with the betting public.

Journalism comes to Churchill Downs as the Santa Anita Derby winner.

Other winners of major prep races at the Kentucky Derby include the Arkansas Derby’s Sandman, Blue Grass Stakes’ Burnham Square, Fountain of Youth Stakes’ Sovereignty, Louisiana Derby’s Tiztastic, Rebel Stakes’ Coal Battle and UAE Derby’s Admire Daytona.

Like the Wood Memorial, the Florida Derby’s winner is not in Saturday’s lineup. Tappan Street is out of action due to a leg injury.

The winner will receive $3.1 million of the race’s $5 million purse and the mantle of the 2025 Triple Crown candidate.

Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 5:57 p.m. CDT Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky. Showers are expected at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

NBC Sports starts televised coverage of the Kentucky Derby at 11 a.m. Saturday on USA Network. NBC takes over the coverage at 1:30 p.m. The Kentucky Derby also will be streamed live via Peacock.

The field for the Kentucky Derby, with post position and morning-line odds/betting odds (as of Friday night), includes:

Post Position 1: Citizen Bull 20-1/14-1

The Eclipse Award winner as 2024’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt came into the year off victories in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Citizen Bull’s 3-year-old campaign started with a practically wire-to-wire win in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes. But the extra furlong of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5 proved a difficult test, and Citizen Bull came in fourth – 9.75 lengths behind winner Journalism. Trainer: Bob Baffert, who saddled Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, War Emblem in 2002, American Pharoah in 2015, Justify in 2018 and Authentic in 2020. Jockey: Martin Garcia. Record: 6-4-0-1. Earnings: $1,451,000. Pedigree: No Joke by Into Mischief.

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Post Position 2: Neoequos 30-1/49-1

The colt has campaigned solely at Gulfstream Park and moved up to graded-stakes events his last two times out. Neoequos posted third-place finishes at the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 1 and the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29. He was a head off the lead entering the stretch in the former and led by a head entering the stretch in the latter. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Luis Saez. Record: 7-2-2-2. Earnings: $291,050. Pedigree: Bold Birdie by Neolithic.

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Post Position 3: Final Gambit 30-1/15-1

The colt broke his maiden his third time out on Feb. 15 at Turfway Park on Feb. 15, then came back five weeks later on the same track to stamp his ticket to the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks. Fifth in a five-horse jumble entering the stretch, Final Gambit ran off to a 3.5-length victory. Trainer: Brad Cox, who saddled Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun in 2021. Jockey: Luan Machado. Record: 4-2-1-1. Earnings: $520,639. Pedigree: Pachinko by Not This Time.

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Post Position 4: American Promise 30-1/12-1

The son of Triple Crown winner Justify took six races as a 3-year-old to break his maiden. As a 3-year-old, American Promise ran the seventh at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes and fifth at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes before getting his second win at the Virginia Derby on March 15. Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas, who saddle Kentucky Derby winners Winning Colors in 1988, Thunder Gulch in 1995, Grindstone in 1996 and Charismatic in 1999. Jockey: Nik Juarez. Record: 9-2-1-1. Earnings: $444,874. Pedigree: Tapella by Justify, which won the Kentucky Derby in 2018.

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Post Position 5: Admire Daytona 30-1/41-1

After running all his races at Tokyo, including getting beaten by Luxor Café twice, the colt traveled to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby via the Euro/Mideast Road by winning the 9.5-furlong UAE Derby on April 5. Trainer: Yukihiro Kato. Jockey: Christophe Lemaire. Record: 6-2-2-0. Earnings: $672,047. Pedigree: Ice Pastel by Drefong.

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Post Position 6: Luxor Café 15-1/11-1

The son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah comes to the United States from Japan 3-for-3 as a 3-year-old and on a four-race winning streak. Luxor Café earned a return trip home by finishing atop the four-race Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, closing with a 5-length victory in the Fukuryu Stakes on March 29. Trainer: Noriyuki Hori. Jockey: Joao Moreira. Record: 6-4-1-0. Earnings: $379,057. Pedigree: Mary’s Follies by American Pharoah, which won the 2015 Kentucky Derby.

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Post Position 7: Journalism 3-1/7-2

Journalism finished third in his first race on Oct. 27. After that, the California colt found his speed to reel off four victories, including two this year – the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1 and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Journalism had closed his 2-year-old campaign with a 3.5-length victory in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy. Jockey: Umberto Rispoli. Record: 5-4-0-1. Earnings: $638,880. Pedigree: Mopotism by Curlin.

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Post Position 8: Burnham Square 12-1/15-1

The gelding bounced back from his only out-of-money finish to win the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 8 at Keeneland. Among the horses Burham Square ran past down the stretch to win by a nose were East Avenue and Owen Almighty. Burnham Square’s stretch run as the favorite in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes had netted only a fourth-place finish on March 1 at Gulfstream Park. Burnham Square started his 3-year-old campaign by beating favorite Tappan Street by 1.75 lengths at the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 1. Trainer: Ian R. Wilkes. Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in 2024. Record: 6-3-1-1. Earnings: $977,755. Pedigree: Linda by Liam’s Map.

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Post Position 9: Flying Mohawk 30-1/32-1

The colt needed four races to get his first win as a 2-year-old in a schedule that included a bad fade from the front to a fifth-place finish at the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes. As a 3-year-old, Flying Mohawk won at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 30 before a second-place run at the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 22 by 3.5 lengths to Final Gambit. Trainer: Whitworth Beckman. Jockey: Joe Ramos. Record: 6-2-2-0. Earnings: $295,800. Pedigree: Bonbons Fleur by Karakontie.

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Post Position 10: East Avenue 20-1/37-1

The colt won his first two times out, including the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity. But the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile featured a stumbling start and a ninth-place finish on Nov. 1. East Avenue faded badly to a 10th-place finish at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15. East Avenue found a whole different gear for the Grade 1 Blue Stakes on April 8, though, and nearly pulled out a wire-to-wire win before being nosed out by Burnham Square. Trainer: Brendan Walsh. Jockey: Manny Franco. Record: 5-2-1-0. Earnings: $654,395. Pedigree: Dance Music by Medaglia D’Oro.

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Post Position 11: Publisher 20-1/28-1

The son of Triple Winner American Pharoah has not won yet, although the colt has progressed through his 3-year-old season. A sixth-place showing at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 25 was followed by a strong stretch run for fourth at the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 23 and a second-place run at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby – 2.5 lengths behind Sandman Trainer: Steven Asmussen. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Record: 7-0-2-3. Earnings: $407,756. Pedigree: Indian Pride by American Pharoah, which won the Kentucky Derby in 2015.

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Post Position 12: Tiztastic 20-1/19-1

The colt had run off in-the-money finishes in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes, Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and Grade 3 Southwest Stakes when he had a clunker with a fifth-place showing at the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 23. But at the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 22, Tiztastic passed six horses in the final 3.5 furlongs to win going away by 2.25 lengths. Trainer: Steven Asmussen. Jockey: Joel Rosario, who rode Kentucky Derby winner Orb in 2013. Record: 8-3-1-2. Earnings: $1,549,800. Pedigree: Keesha by Tiz the Law.

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Post Position 13: Render Judgment 30-1/15-1

The colt’s only victory came at Churchill Downs but that was six months ago. Render Judgment is probably coming off his best run, but that was good for only a fifth-place finish at the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8. Trainer: Kenneth McPeek, who saddled Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in 2024. Jockey: Julien Leparoux. Record: 7-1-2-1. Earnings: $250,671. Pedigree: Barbara Gordon by Blame.

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Post Position 14: Coal Battle 30-1/27-1

The colt had a four-race winning streak capped by a fast finish over the final 2.5 furlongs to win the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes by 1.25 lengths on Feb. 23. Coal Battle comes to the Kentucky Derby off a third-place showing with a fading finish at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 – 7 lengths behind Sandman, with Publisher in between. Trainer: Lonnie Briley. Jockey: Juan Vargas. Record: 8-5-0-1. Earnings: $1,188,875. Pedigree: Wolfblade by Coal Front.

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Post Position 15: Sandman 6-1/9-2

The colt enters the Kentucky Derby as the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner on March 29 after a second-place showing at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 25 and the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 23. All three races were contested at Oaklawn Park. At the Arkansas Derby, Sandman opened up to a 2.5-length victory after being challenged by Kentucky Derby entrants Publisher and Coal Battle in the stretch. Coal Battle had beaten Sandman in the Rebel Stakes. Trainer: Mark E. Casse. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Record: 8-3-1-2. Earnings: $1,254,595. Pedigree: Distorted Music by Tapit.

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Post Position 16: Sovereignty 5-1 /9-1

The colt came from ninth over the final 2.5 furlongs to win the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes by 5 lengths to close his 2-year-old campaign. As a 3-year-old, Sovereignty won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes by a neck with another big stretch run on March 1, then came up 1.25 lengths short of winner Tappan Street in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29. Trainer: William Mott, who saddled Kentucky Derby winner Country House in 2019. Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Record: 5-2-2-0. Earnings: $572,800. Pedigree: Crowned by Into Mischief.

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Post Position 17: Chunk of Gold 30-1/28-1

After breaking his maiden in his only 2-year-old race, Chunk of Gold’s 3-year-old campaign has consisted of three second-place finishes in the Leonatus Stakes on Jan. 18, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15 and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 22, finishing 2.25 lengths behind Tiztastic in the latter race. Trainer: Ethan West. Jockey: Jareth Loveberry. Record: 4-1-3-0. Earnings: $348,818. Pedigree: Play for Gold by Preservationist.

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Post Position 18: Owen Almighty 30-1/40-1

After winning the first two times out and running second in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes as a 2-year-old, the colt looked like a Kentucky Derby contender in a wire-to-wire win at the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8. Owen Almighty had the same speed figure at the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes one month later, but that netted only a sixth-place finish. Trainer: Brian Lynch. Jockey: Javier Castellano, who rode Kentucky Derby winner Mage in 2023. Record: 7-3-2-0. Earnings: $499,935. Pedigree: Tempers Rising by Speightstown.

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Post Position 19: Baeza 12-1/18-1

Baeza did not earn enough points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby to make the original field, but the scatch of Rodriguez opened a spot for the colt. Baeza found his speed in his third race, winning by 4.75 lengths over 1 mile at Santa Anita on Feb. 14. The next time out, Baeza couldn’t hold off Journalism down the stretch for a second-place finish by three-quarters of a length in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Trainer: John A. Shirreffs. Jockey: Flavien Prat, who rode Kentucky Derby winner Country House in 2019. Record: 4-1-2-0. Earnings: $148,500. Pedigree: Puca by McKinzie.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.