Grade I winner Violence , among the early favorites for this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), sustained a fracture to his right front medial sesamoid and is off the Triple Crown trail.
HRTV reported that Violence has been retired from racing.
The fracture was detected after his gutsy second-place finish by a half-length to Orb in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 23.
Violence, who took a clear lead in the stretch run of the Fountain of Youth, battled back gamely along the inside after being passed late by Orb. It was the first loss of his career.
Resting comfortably at Gulfstream Park, the colt will ship this week to owner Steven Marshall’s Black Rock Stable Farm near Versailles, Ky. for further evaluation and recuperation.
“It’s such a disappointment to see such a promising colt sustain an injury,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He’s been training beautifully and made such an impressive effort in his second-place finish yesterday.”
The son of Medaglia d'Oro won the Cash Call Futurity (gr. I) and the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) last year and was unbeaten in three starts as a 2-year-old. Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm out of the Gone West mare Violent Beauty, Violence ranks third in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings with 30 points.