(Edited Churchill Downs press release)
B. Wayne Hughes’ Ketchikan, runner-up to Circular Quay in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), was officially taken off the Triple Crown trail on Tuesday when the colt was found to be suffering from a bone bruise that will take him out of training for an unspecified period.
Trainer Al Stall Jr. said the son of Mr. Greeley was found to be suffering from a bruise at the end of his cannon bone in his left front leg. The injury is not regarded as career threatening, but Stall said it would require the colt to spend some time on the sidelines.
“We’re just going to lighten up on his training, walk him and that kind of stuff for a while,” said Stall. “We’ll just try to get those bruises healed and go on with him.”
Ketchikan had breezed a sharp five furlongs in :59 on Friday at Churchill Downs in preparation for a planned start in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) this Saturday at Oaklawn Park, but the colt turned up lame on Sunday afternoon. He was taken to Rood & Riddle equine clinic in Lexington, Ky. on Monday, where he underwent a thorough examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage.
Stall said it was too early to know how long Ketchikan would be away from competition.
“Thirty days, 60 days – we just don’t know,” said Stall. “It’ll be just whatever the horse tells us.”
