Georgie Boy Injured; Out of Derby

Georgie Boy, winner of the grade II San Vicente and San Felipe Stakes, will miss the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) due to a pulled back muscle.

Georgie Boy, owned and bred by George Schwary, had worked a bullet six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 on Saturday, the fastest of 14 works at the distance, but came out of the work with the injury.

“It’s high on his back end and we don’t know how long it will take (to heal), but we’re not going to take a chance,” trainer Kathy Walsh said late Monday afternoon. “He was a little tight in his back end yesterday, and we had him tested and X-rayed and everything was fine in that regard.

“The vet examined him today and was very happy with what he saw other than the pulled muscle. He will not require surgery.

“I don’t know how long he’ll be out, but Mr. Schwary (owner/breeder George Schwary of San Fernando) is very patient and we’ll give the horse all the time he needs and let him tell us when to come back. Obviously, the Santa Anita Derby is out and I wouldn’t want to run him in the Kentucky Derby (on May 3) without a prep race. Maybe we’ll see him in the Pacific Classic (at Del Mar in August).”

Georgie Boy, a California-bred son of Tribal Rule, out Ippodamia, by Peterhof, has won four of his seven career starts for earnings of $496,806. Last year, he captured the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and Graduation Stakes and was second in the Best Pal Stakes (gr. II).