Ankles Hurt Toccet’s Shot at the Derby

Toccet, who won six of eight starts during a hectic 2-year-old campaign, might be forced to miss the Kentucky Derby.

Owner Daniel Borislow told the Daily Racing Form that the son of Awesome Again was diagnosed Monday with “bone remodeling” in three of his four ankles, which is akin to a human having problems with shin splints.

Borislow said there’s about a “20-30%” chance Toccet could participate in the Derby, which will be run for the 129th time May 3 at Churchill Downs. The owner also hopes the colt could be ready for a Derby prep -- the Wood Memorial on April 12 at Aqueduct.

“If we can stick a race into him before the Derby, I would be the happiest guy in the world,” Borislow was quoted as saying.

Never shy about singing the praises of Toccet and hoping to earn his colt some Eclipse award votes, Borislow took out several ads challenging the connections of the unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vindication to show up in last month’s Hollywood Futurity at Hollywood Park.

Owned by Padua Stables and trained by Bob Baffert, Vindication, who had beaten Toccet and the rest of the field soundly in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last Oct. 26 at Arlington Park, never had any intention of running in the Futurity.

It was made clear after his Breeders’ Cup victory that he was done for 2002.

Toccet, who had finished 16 lengths behind Vindication in Illinois, shipped west and won the Futurity, beating a field that included two of Vindication’s stablemates, Kafwain and Domestic Dispute. The latter won Saturday’s Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita, while the former is scheduled to make his 2003 debut in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 1.