by Ed DeRosa and John D. Ferguson
Trainer David Carroll detected the beginnings of a hairline fracture in Denis of Cork’s left hind ankle, and William K. Warren Jr.’s Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up will miss the remainder of his three-year-old season.
Denis of Cork was one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) after winning the Southwest Stakes (G3) by 2 1/4 lengths on February 18 at Oaklawn Park. He entered the Derby off a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Illinois Derby (G2) and finished third in the 1 1/4-mile classic, which was won by Big Brown.
Carroll was pointing the Harlan’s Holiday colt to the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Travers Stakes Presented by Shadwell Farm (G1), both this summer at Saratoga Race Course, before detecting the beginnings of the fracture.
“We’re going to stop on it instead of pushing on it,” Carroll said Monday. “We’ll give him 60-90 days or as long as takes and restart him off. It’s obviously very disappointing, but we want to do what’s right by the horse. We were really looking forward to going to Saratoga with him.”
Carroll said that Denis of Cork would remain in his barn and walk until he is ready to return to serious training with a four-year-old campaign beginning in 2009 at Fair Grounds as the long-term goal.
“[My wife] Suzanne and I have been through setbacks more severe than this one,” Warren said. “Although we are greatly upset about our plans for the Jim Dandy and Travers, we look forward to a strong four-year-old campaign.”
Denis of Cork has won three of six starts and has earned $613,252.
Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times; John D. Ferguson is an Oklahoma-based correspondent