Premier Pegasus out of Santa Anita Derby

Morning-line favorite Premier Pegasus was scratched Thursday from Saturday’s $1-million Santa Anita Derby with a hairline fracture in his left foreleg.

Premier Pegasus, part of a six-horse stable of trainer Myung Kwon Cho, would have been at 8-5 when betting opened for the prestigious steppingstone race to the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

Premier Pegasus had won the March 12 San Felipe Stakes by a surprising 7¾ lengths over Bob Baffert’s Jaycito.

Now, Jaycito will begin the day as the 2-1 favorite, followed by Silver Medallion, trained by Steve Asmussen and Scott Blasi at 7-2.

Premier Pegasus had attracted a great deal of attention for this race because Cho could have become the first person to breed, train and own a winning horse in the 74 years of the Santa Anita Derby.