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Rodriguez, impressive winner of the Wood Memorial, has been scratched from Saturday's US$3 million Gr.1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The late withdrawal was announced by co-owner Tom Ryan, who revealed the Bob Baffert-trained colt is suffering from a foot bruise.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have made a very tough decision to scratch our Derby horse, Rodriguez. He has a small but slightly sensitive foot bruise that will need a few more days. Therefore, we are resetting our plans and will target him for the Preakness," Ryan wrote on social media platform X.
The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is scheduled for May 17 at Pimlico Racecourse.
Rodriguez was due to break from post 4 as a 12-1 chance in Saturday's Classic. Despite this setback, Baffert remains represented with 2024 champion 2YO Citizen Bull.
"It's still sinking in," Baffert said following a victory by Fort Bragg in the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes about an hour after the announcement. "I was really looking forward to running him in the Derby. You have to be just perfect. If you're gonna win this thing, you got to be perfect."
Rodriguez's absence means Baeza, runner-up in the Gr.1 Santa Anita Derby, now gains entry to the 151st running of America's most famous race. All other entries will shift inward one gate position, with Baeza taking the outside berth in post 20.
That wide draw may not be a disadvantage, as post 20 has produced two winners of the Kentucky Derby, most recently with Rich Strike, another also-eligible that drew in, winning in 2022. The other horse to win from the outermost post is Big Brown, Baeza's broodmare sire and 2008 Derby winner.
Baeza is offering his dam Puca the unique opportunity to be the producer of two Kentucky Derby winners, and three American classic winners. By McKinzie, Baeza is a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, both by Good Magic.
Robert Clay of Grandview Equine, co-owner and breeder of Baeza, Mage, and Dornoch, is optimistic about his horse's chances.
"If he does get in the race, I think he'll be in the top five or six," Clay said. "The oddsmakers will look on him pretty favourably."