King Fury will be scratched from the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), trainer Kenny McPeek announced April 30 at Churchill Downs.
The son of Curlin spiked a fever after training Friday, McPeek said.
"So we're back here at Barn 6 at Churchill Downs with some unfortunate news," McPeek explained in a video he posted to Twitter Friday, where he also mentioned the colt's elevated white blood 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."
Campaigned by Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm, and Magdalena Racing, King Fury won the April 10 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland under Brian Hernandez Jr. last out to punch his Kentucky Derby ticket.
With the scratch of King Fury, all horses to his outside will move in one spot in the starting gate. The program numbers will remain the same.
"I feel gutted for Paul Fireman (of Fern Circle) and Gonçalo Torrealba (of Three Chimneys) and Brian Hernandez and all the people that have worked so hard to get him to this race, but unfortunately he is not 100%," McPeek said. "This is a horse who has been doing really well all week. Anybody who watched him train had to be impressed. I know I was and felt pretty confident going into this race that we had a big chance.
"We are obviously going to scratch him on veterinarian advice, which is an easy one. Take him out, we'll regroup, and point him towards another race. I think you'll probably see this horse pointed toward the Travers Stakes (G1), which I think is a great spot."
King Fury broke his maiden at first asking Sept. 3 at Churchill, and returned from an eighth in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland to win the Oct. 25 Street Sense Overnight Stakes at the Louisville track. He was seventh in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) at Keeneland and fifth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) back at Churchill before making his season debut with the Lexington victory.
Fern Circle issued a statement via Twitter, saying, "Everyone from Fern Circle, Kenny’s team, and Three Chimneys are disappointed that King Fury will not be able to run tomorrow. He’s been training amazing this week, but it is important to do what’s right for King Fury. He has a bright future ahead."
Three Chimneys added, "Sad news to report, but we hope to be back soon with King Fury!"
McPeek will be represented April 30 in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Crazy Beautiful .
"Today we're going to go out and try to win the Kentucky Oaks with Crazy Beautiful," he said. "We're going to try to take a negative and turn it into a positive. We're still going to enjoy it. It's a part of the game. It's unfortunate. But we'll rebound and keep at it. King Fury will be fine, unfortunately, he's not going to be able to run."
This marks the second straight year Hernandez has missed out on the Run for the Roses. He was slated to ride Bruce Lunsford's 2020 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector last year, but the Tom Drury trainee bypassed the race due to a foot issue. Hernandez has ridden in the Derby twice, finishing eighth on McCraken in 2017 and 12th in 2016 on Tom's Ready.
BREAKING: King Fury OUT of #KyDerby https://t.co/1Vc499Rhcd
— J.J. Hysell (@trifectabox) April 30, 2021
