Bellamy Road, who finished seventh as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, has been sidelined with an injury to his left front leg. George Steinbrenner's colt will miss the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Nick Zito, trainer of Bellamy Road, said the colt "popped a splint," meaning a tear in the ligament adhering the splint bones to the cannon bone. Zito said the injury probably started before the Kentucky Derby but was aggravated during the race.
"There is no doubt you will see the real Bellamy Road again," the trainer was quoted as saying on The Blood-Horse Web site.
Zito said Bellamy Road would remain with him at Churchill Downs and be pointed for the major summer stakes, such as the Travers at Saratoga.
Bellamy Road had been one of four of Zito's horses under consideration for the Preakness. High Fly, Noble Causeway and Sun King remain possible for the May 21 race, he said.
The Preakness lost an additional possible starter when the connections of Don't Get Mad, fourth in the Derby, decided to rest the colt. The Preakness would have been the third race in four weeks for Don't Get Mad. He won the Derby Trial one week before the Derby.
Eight horses remain on the probable list, and eight remain on the possible list. The Preakness is limited to 14 starters.
John Shirreffs, trainer of Giacomo, long-shot winner of the Derby, told racing officials at Hollywood Park, his home base, that he planned to van Giacomo to Pimlico Race Course earlier than next Wednesday. Pimlico officials had assumed that Wednesday would be the arrival date because that's the only day air shuttles are scheduled from Louisville to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
Giacomo remained at Churchill Downs after his shocking victory while Shirreffs returned to California. Shirreffs was to have flown back to Kentucky last night to make travel arrangements for the colt.
Afleet Alex, third in the Derby, is due at Pimlico late this afternoon after a van ride from Churchill Downs. He would be the first Derby horse to arrive for the Preakness.
Even though Afleet Alex finished a length behind Giacomo in the Derby, he will likely be favored in the Preakness. Giacomo apparently earned little respect with his come-from-behind victory at 50-1 odds.
King T. Leatherbury, trainer of Malibu Moonshine, the hometown favorite, said his Preakness candidate is "doing great" at Laurel Park.
"I think the Derby outcome really confused the issue," Leatherbury said. "It just opened the Preakness field right up. ... Those Derby [also-rans] are good horses, and some of them will come back to their best race."
