Hear the Ghost, one of the favorites for the upcoming $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), is off the Triple Crown trail after he was detected to be slightly lame during a morning jog April 4 at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Owner Ted Aroney of Halo Farms said Hear the Ghost will be sidelined for about 90 days with what he called "a small injury" to his right front leg.
The San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) winner was the 5-2 second choice on the morning line for the April 6 Santa Anita Derby. The gelded son of Ghostzapper , trained and co-owned by Jerry Hollendorfer, was to be ridden by Corey Nakatani.
"This is the sixth time this has happened to me, having a horse get injured four or five weeks before the Kentucky Derby," a disappointed Aroney said.
Aroney said Hear the Ghost was being sent out for a routine jog over Hollywood's Cushion Track when it was noticed that he was "a little off" on his right foreleg. He said an X-ray showed "the tiniest little line, maybe the beginning of a chip."
He said Hear the Ghost would be turned out to recuperate at Rancho Paseana in Rancho Santa Fe, the horse ranch facility near Del Mar owned by Jenny Craig.
Aroney said no surgery would be required. "They said it (the injury) just needs time to heal," he said.
Hear the Ghost has won two of three starts while earning $222,400.
