Hear the Ghost to miss Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hear the Ghost, the winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 9, will miss Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby because of injury, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Thursday afternoon.

The injury was detected after Hear the Ghost trained at Betfair Hollywood Park on Thursday. Hollendorfer did not disclose the nature of the injury.

"We're not going to run him," Hollendorfer said. "We're not going to take a chance. With time, he'll come back 100 percent."

Owned by Hollendorfer and Ted Aroney's Halo Farms, Hear the Ghost was a leading contender for the Santa Anita Derby on the basis of his half-length win in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 9.

A gelding by Ghostzapper, Hear the Ghost has won 2 of 3 starts and $222,400.

With the absence of Hear the Ghost, Flashback, the runner-up in the San Felipe, will be an even stronger favorite in the Grade 1 race over 1 1/8 miles.

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