ESKENDEREYA OUT OF KENTUCKY DERBY WITH LEG INJURY

Horse racing enthusiasts awoke Sunday morning to the shocking news that presumptive Kentucky Derby betting favorite Eskendereya was out of the race due to a leg injury.  His withdrawal may open the door for several horses ‘on the bubble’ to compete, but much depends on what trainer Todd Pletcher decides to do in terms of a replacement in the field.  Pletcher has run 24 horses in the Kentucky Derby without a win, and most equine experts considered Eskendereya his best chance of victory to date.

After noticing that Eskendereya’s last few gallops were, in Pletcher’s words, “not up to par” he became concerned and had the horse examined revealing significant swelling in the left front leg.  At this point, the severity of the condition is not known though it could potentially be career threatening. Pletcher describes the situation in greater detail:

"The left leg is filled from the ankle up to the knee. We've got to get the edema out of there to get a proper diagnosis. He's not uncomfortable. But when we took him out of his stall this morning and jogged him on the asphalt, he was what for me I would call 'slightly off.' "

Pletcher also described the difficult phone call he had to make to Eskendereya’s owner Ahmed Zayat:

"We were hoping for a miracle overnight. Professionally, the toughest call I've ever had to make to an owner was the one this morning. But Mr. Zayat took it well. He's a pretty emotional guy. He said the horse comes first. He loves the horse. It was not a phone call I wanted to make."

Pletcher was clearly shaken by the news, and said that Eskendereya was the best horse he’d ever worked with in preparation for the Derby:

"Without a doubt, this is the best horse we've ever brought to this stage. His last two races were as good as any 3-year-old has ever run.”

He also left open the door for a return in the later Triple Crown races should his condition improve:

"I know for sure a mile and a quarter is within his range, a mile and a half is within his range, and he's the kind of horse who physically could hold his weight and bounce back in two weeks.”

The Kentucky Derby is contested at a mile and a quarter and the Belmont Stakes is a mile and a half.  At this point, however, its mere speculation until a more thorough examination rules out soft tissue damage to the left front leg.

With Eskendereya out of the race, the mantle of Kentucky Derby betting favorite will likely shift to Looking At Lucky.  He was considered the best rising three year old last year, and became the very early Derby favorite after a solid 2nd place run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.  This year, however, a third place run at the Santa Anita Derby had caused his ‘stock to drop’ somewhat.