Toccet May Miss Kentucky Derby

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Dan Borislow, owner of multiple graded stakes winner Toccet, said Tuesday that the son of Awesome Again may be forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to what has been described by veterinarians as a remodeling of the ankles. Toccet was coming off a hard-fought victory in the Hollywood Futurity, in which he narrowly defeated Kafwain.

"They said it's similar to a shin splint, but in the ankles," Borislow said. "Supposedly it's not uncommon in a younger horse who races over a hard surface. There's no doubt it happened running his heart out at Hollywood Park. The normal prescription is 30-60 days rest. Some people say you do certain things and go on with the horse. Others say to wait and point for the later races. We're going to do what we think is best for the horse. He's definitely going to miss the early stakes, like the Fountain of Youth, but we still have hope we can catch a couple of the later Derby preps. We just have to consult with the right people, and we'll see how he does over the next month or so."

Borislow said Toccet showed signs of being off his second day back in training. "He took a couple of bad steps and we stopped on him," he said. "We did X-rays and ultra sound, and luckily there's no fracture and no soft tissue damage. A nuclear bone scan would be the tell-all, so we sent him to Rood & Riddle. The digital X-rays came up negative, but the nuclear scan showed activity in three of his ankles. Racing at Hollywood Park, and running such a gutsy race, his heart probably took on more than his body could handle. The pounding down on that track is probably the culprit. So, in that respect, it doesn't look like our gamble to go out there paid off. Now, I regret going. But they do say in the long run the ankles come out stronger after this remodeling."

Toccet was one of the early favorites for the Derby after winning the Champagne Stakes, Laurel Futurity, Remsen Stakes, and Hollywood Futurity. He recently arrived at Gulfstream Park to point for the Feb. 19 Fountain of Youth Stakes.

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