Nobody Puts Bode In A Corner: After Late Scratch In Monmouth Cup, Bodexpress Nominated To Whitney

After a late scratch from Saturday's Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, fan-favorite Bodexpress has been nominated to the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1, reports bloodhorse.com.

The 4-year-old son of Bodemeister, best-known for his riderless romp in the 2019 Preakness Stakes, was scratched by the state veterinarian when it was noted that the colt was bleeding near his nostrils. Gustavo Delgado, Jr., the assistant and 31-year-old son of trainer Gustavo Delgado, said the blood was due to a scratch on Bodexpress' nose incurred while he shipped to Monmouth Park.

“This horse is full of stories, but this one is not because of him,” said Delgado Jr. “He behaved well and he was doing everything that he had to do. He came back good, scoped fine, and he's already home and walked this morning.”

Bodexpress jumped onto the racing scene with a second-place finish as a maiden in the 2019 Florida Derby, running just behind Maximum Security. He finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby, and spun back to run in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. The temperamental colt reared and lost jockey John Velazquez at the start, then ran around the Pimlico oval on his own before he was eventually corralled by an outrider. The antics earned Bodexpress a large fan following on social media.

He returned to the races five months later, breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park West, and concluded his sophomore season with a third-place finish as the favorite in the G3 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream.

In January, Bodexpress ran fifth in the G1 Pegasus World Cup, but finished an uncharacteristic 11th in the Gulfstream Park Mile one month later. He returned in March to be third in the G3 Hal's Hope, again as the post-time favorite.

Overall, Bodexpress' record stands at 2-3-2 from 13 starts for earnings of $359,500.