'TDN Rising Star' McCraken (Ghostzapper), who remained perfect in four career starts with a season-opening victory in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Feb. 11, will be forced to skip his next intended appearance in the Mar. 11 GII Tampa Bay Derby due to a minor injury, trainer Ian Wilkes confirmed Tuesday.
“He's got a slight strain in his ankle,” the former Carl Nafzger assistant explained. “He X-rayed clean, but I don't want to come back and work him next week [ahead of the Tampa Bay Derby]. I would rather skip that race and take care of the horse.”
Wilkes said he will regroup and point McCraken towards the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8. What was meant to be a three-race lead-up into the GI Kentucky Derby is now down to two preps, but the conditioner is downplaying that fact.
“It is not really a concern, to be honest,” Wilkes commented. “Maybe he knows better than me.”
Owned and bred by Janis Whitham, McCraken turned in his first work since annexing the Sam Davis Monday at Palm Meadows, covering a half-mile in a smooth :48.90 (6/27).
“He worked great, galloped out tremendously and I couldn't ask for more,” Wilkes said. “He was out in [a minute] 13 and change, I was tickled to death. Now we just have to take care of him.”
McCraken, at the head of the list in the TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12, sponsored by WinStar, was the lowest price among the individual entries at 6-1 in the most recent Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, which closed the evening of Feb. 26.
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