Render Judgment will not be entered in Kentucky Derby 2025
Render Judgment will not be entered Saturday in Kentucky Derby 2025. He would have been first on the also-eligible list if he were entered, meaning this moves Baeza up to the no. 21 position on the Kentucky Derby eligibility list.
Trainer Kenny McPeek decided not to enter Render Judgment in the run for the roses, and will point him toward a first-level allowance race instead according to a text to Horse Racing Nation. The decision not to enter Render Judgment in the Kentucky Derby was previously reported in a post on X by David Grening of Daily Racing Form.
Render Judgment has a career record of 7: 1-2-1. His only win to date was a half-length victory over Kentucky Derby qualifier American Promise in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs on Oct. 27. Render Judgment earned 39 points on the Kentucky Derby trail by virtue of a second-place finish behind American Promise in the Virginia Derby, a third-place finish in the Gun Runner and fifth-place efforts in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Blue Grass (G1).
As of Friday afternoon, Baeza was expected to be the first horse on the also-eligible list for the Kentucky Derby. Baeza finished second by three quarters of a length behind Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Even though that was a final-round prep, the points were only 75% of the base value because only five horses ran, so Baeza earned 37.5 points for that effort. The Santa Anita Derby was Baeza's only start in a points race.
Baeza is trained by John Shirreffs. He is a son of McKinzie out of Puca, the dam of both 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.
If trainer Tommy Drury enters California Burrito, he would be second on the also-eligible list. California Burrito earned 20 points from a win in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, though he was seventh in his most recent start in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). He is still listed on the Kentucky Derby website's leaderboard, though in an interview posted on X by TwinSpires Racing on April 19, Drury said the Pat Day Mile (G2) was under stronger consideration.