Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Apr 26, (THAINDIAN NEWS) In what has come as a major disappointment for enthusiasts who were looking forward to the upcoming Kentucky Derby, Eskendereya, the chestnut colt which had been one of the favorites have been pulled out from the race. Expectation would have been extremely high from Eskendereya during Saturday’s race mainly due to its runaway success in the Fountain of the Youth as well as the Wood Memorial.

However, all the hopes of the colt’s victory during Saturday’s event have been shattered when it was announced on Sunday morning that Eskendereya would not be able to participate in this year’s Kentucky Derby due to a leg injury. In a news conference that was held at the Churchill Downs, the colt’s trainer Todd Pletcher said that the horse showed deep swelling in its front left leg on Saturday and despite working on it overnight, the horse did not show any signs of improvement. At the same time, the trainer also indicated that it was too early to speculate the actual nature of the injury at the moment. A diagnosis is likely to be made later in the week when the swelling is reduced.

While talking about the chestnut colt, Todd Pletcher reiterated that Eskendereya was indeed the best horse for this stage more so because of it last two victories. However, the trainer supposedly has as many as six other horses who would be able to replace Eskendereya and are eligible for the Kentucky Derby. In the meanwhile, with Eskendereya out of the race, the next favorite is likely to be Lookin At Lucky, which has quite a few victorious under its belt.