Nuits St. Georges Hurt, Will Miss Derby

Nuits St. Georges, who would have been a longshot to win the Kentucky Derby, will miss the race because of a shin injury that will require surgery.

Nuits St. Georges, who hadn’t won a race until he beat maidens at Santa Anita on March 4, won the Rebel Stakes at 30-1 at Oaklawn Park on March 31, then finished 10th in the Arkansas Derby on Saturday.

In the Arkansas Derby, Nuits St. Georges was making a move with a half-mile to run when he apparently broke the cannon bone of his left foreleg. “Before that, I thought we’d win or at least be right there,” jockey Jamie Bruin said.

Trainer Doug Peterson said that Nuits St. Georges will undergo surgery today. The recuperation period is estimated to be three months.

“The track was hard in Arkansas, and this is a big horse who hits the ground hard,” Peterson said. “It had rained before the race, and that washed away what little cushion the track had. I still think this horse has a bright future. It’s just that it will have to come later rather than now.”

Another horse was seriously injured in the Arkansas Derby. Wicked Destiny, who was undefeated in his only three races, finished ninth and chipped a bone in his right hind leg. It is not known how long the Remington Park Derby winner will be sidelined.

The 116th Kentucky Derby, scheduled for a week from Saturday at Churchill Downs, is down to 16 probables: Summer Squall, Mister Frisky, Silver Ending, Thirty Six Red, Land Rush, Real Cash, Burnt Hills, Pendleton Ridge, Unbridled, Shot Gun Scott, Pleasant Tap, Video Ranger, Killer Diller, Dr. Bobby A., Fighting Fantasy and Country Day. Most of the trainers are hoping that the list dwindles to 14 or fewer, so that only one starting gate can be used.