Kentucky Derby trail: Jonathan's Way will miss Risen Star

Jonathan's Way, second choice on the morning line for Saturday's Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds, will miss the Kentucky Derby 2025 points prep.

In a post on X, Churchill Downs spokesperson Kevin Kerstein quoted trainer Phil Bauer as saying, "We were really looking forward to running Jonathan’s Way in the Risen Star but unfortunately he came up with an unsatisfactory blood count and we are going to scratch."

The Vekoma colt owned by Rigney Racing was 4-1 on the morning line, behind only East Avenue at 9-5. He was at 45-1 in Las Vegas futures for the Kentucky Derby.

The Risen Star offers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points for the Derby. Jonathan's Way is no. 12 in the standings with 15 points earned with a win in the Iroquois (G3) and a second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), his most recent start.

Jonathan's Way has yet to race in 2025. He won his debut, a maiden special weight at Saratoga and was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile between his Iroquois and Kentucky Jockey Club starts.

He had been working at Fair Grounds since January, breezing four furlongs in 47.8 seconds on Saturday and five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.2 a week earlier.