Frankel suffers 'superficial' injury in workout

Undefeated champion Frankel hurt himself during a Wednesday workout at Newmarket in England, but his connections deemed the injury “superficial,” and if that is the case, Frankel would have plenty of time to get back on track and make his scheduled 2012 debut in the Lockinge Stakes on May 19 at Newbury.

Henry Cecil, who trains the Juddmonte Farms homebred, said in a statement to Press Association Sport that Frankel “hit himself,” striking his right foreleg with his right hind leg, while working Wednesday. No more specific description of the injury was made public.

“At this stage the injury looks superficial but he will be kept monitored over the next few days,” Cecil said in the statement.

Four-year-old Frankel has won all nine of his starts, going 4 for 4 as a 2-year-old and 5 for 5 last year at 3. Frankel has never raced beyond one mile, though his connections have spoken of stretching him out to 1 1/4 miles at some point in 2012.