NEWS
Quality Road suffers another quarter crack
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2009 12:02 PM
QUALITY ROAD
Coglianese photo
Florida Derby (G1) winner Quality Road, expected to be among the favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), has developed a second quarter crack, this one to his right front foot.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens expressed optimism Friday afternoon that Quality Road would make the Derby on May 2 after hoof specialist Ian McKinlay treated the new quarter crack at Belmont Park.
The Elusive Quality colt had a workout scheduled for Saturday at Belmont, but Jerkens canceled the work after noticing the new quarter crack on Quality Road’s foot after he trained Thursday morning.
“Ian closed the crack up with laces [Friday afternoon],” Jerkens said. “We will jog him [Saturday]; if there’s no blood we can patch him. He can gallop Sunday and breeze Monday, and if he is sound Tuesday we’ll ship to Kentucky.
“Right now, he’s absolutely sound,” added Jerkens, who wanted to breeze the colt either Saturday or Sunday. “But to miss your last work when you wanted to work before the Derby is crucial.”
After suffering a quarter crack to the right hind foot during the Florida Derby on March 28, Quality Road received two patches, one in Florida and the second in New York. He worked twice at Belmont Park after receiving the second patch. On April 10, he worked five furlongs in 1:02.19, and on April 17, he worked a six furlong bullet in 1:12.03.
McKinlay, whose client list includes 1997 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Touch Gold and 2008 Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Big Brown, said he was fully confident Quality Road will make the Derby despite the new quarter crack.
“The foot is cold, which is a tremendous sign,” McKinlay said. “He’s a little sensitive at the hairline, but now that it is stabilized [with the laces] the pain will go away. It’s not bothering him and I don’t think there’s any infection.”
