Cape Canaveral’s Derby Hopes Grounded

Cape Canaveral, the undefeated colt who was one of trainer Wayne Lukas’ Kentucky Derby prospects, will miss the Churchill Downs race and the rest of the Triple Crown series because of a stress fracture to his right foreleg.

Ric Waldman, manager of William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm, which bred and races Cape Canaveral, said Thursday that the colt’s shin injury should heal without surgery and it is possible that he might resume training by late summer.

Although he had run only twice and not been tested around two turns, Cape Canaveral was considered one of the leading Derby contenders. His next start was to have been the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 28.

A son of Mr. Prospector and Seaside Attraction, the Seattle Slew filly who won the Kentucky Oaks for Lukas and Young in 1990, Cape Canaveral broke his maiden on opening day at Santa Anita. He came back two weeks later to win the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes in a flashy 1:09.

Lukas, who has won the Derby three times, has nominated 21 horses for the Triple Crown, more than any other trainer. He has started at least one horse in the Derby every year since 1981.

Another of his Derby hopefuls is Cat Thief, also owned by Young, who’s 6-1 on the morning line for Saturday’s $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In a 10-horse field, Vicar is the 7-2 favorite for the Fountain of Youth, which is a prep for the Florida Derby on March 13.

In another Derby-related development, Rick Taylor, racing manager for John and Betty Mabee’s Golden Eagle Farm, said they are considering running their filly, Excellent Meeting, against colts in the $750,000 Gallery Furniture Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., on March 27, instead of sticking with the fillies in the $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 14.

“We might go that way,” Taylor said. “That’s a lot of money they’re putting up at Turfway.”

The Gallery is the new name for what used to be the Jim Beam Stakes. After Excellent Meeting won the Las Virgenes last Saturday at Santa Anita, that seemed to set the stage for a collision between her and Honest Lady in the Santa Anita Oaks, but now it’s possible that neither filly will run. Trainer Bobby Frankel worked Honest Lady last Saturday and has decided to run her against colts in the San Rafael.

The Mabees seemed to be well stocked for the Derby with the gelding General Challenge and the colt Finder’s Gold, but Finder’s Gold ran last in an allowance at Santa Anita on Sunday. Excellent Meeting and General Challenge now appear to be the Mabees’ Derby candidates, with their trainer, Bob Baffert, also having the option of running Excellent Meeting in the 3-year-old filly race, the Kentucky Oaks, which is on April 30, the day before the Derby.

“I heard from [Baffert’s barn] that Finder’s Gold bled a little in the race,” Taylor said. “But it was still very disappointing.”