Injury Sidelines Bellamy Road

Bellamy Road, the 5-2 favorite who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, has suffered an injury in the knee area of his left foreleg and will miss the final two races in the Triple Crown series.

Trainer Nick Zito, who had been considering Bellamy Road for the next Triple Crown race, the Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore on May 21, said that the colt would miss a month of training but should return for a summer campaign. Zito’s four other Derby starters finished behind Bellamy Road.

Zito told Blood-Horse magazine that Bellamy Road, owned by New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, may have had what’s known as a “blind splint” going into the Derby. Zito theorized that the colt could have aggravated the injury -- similar to shin splints in humans -- in the race.

Bellamy Road went into the Derby off a 17 1/2 -length win in the Wood Memorial. At Churchill Downs, he raced not far behind horses setting some of the fastest early fractions in Derby history. He took the lead for a couple of strides coming out of the stretch turn, before losing by almost seven lengths.

“He was in a position to win,” Zito said the day after the Derby. “He wasn’t going head and head with the leaders, he was laying off the pace. The winner [50-1 shot Giacomo] just ran a great race.”

Of Zito’s other Derby horses, Andromeda’s Hero is expected to run next in the Belmont Stakes on June 11, and High Fly, Noble Causeway and Sun King are possibilities for the Preakness.

Listed as “likely” for the Preakness by Pimlico are Giacomo, Closing Argument and Afleet Alex, the first three finishers in the Derby; Wilko and Greeley’s Galaxy, who were sixth and 11th in the Derby; and Malibu Moonshine, Scrappy T and Hal’s Image, none of whom ran at Churchill. On Pimlico’s probable list are Zito’s three horses, High Limit, Going Wild, Flower Alley, First World and A.P. Arrow.

Afleet Alex, who finished a length behind Giacomo, won the Arkansas Derby three weeks before Kentucky and is expected to be the favorite at Pimlico.

The Derby also took its toll on Bandini, the Blue Grass winner and third betting choice. Bandini finished next to last in the 20-horse field and will miss the Preakness because of swelling in his right foreleg.

Wilko and Buzzards Bay, who finished fifth, bled from the lungs in the Derby. Buzzards Bay might run in the Belmont, trainer Jeff Mullins said. Don’t Get Mad, fourth at Churchill, could also show up at the Belmont.