Mesquite off the Kentucky Derby trail with injury

Mesquite, runner-up in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, is off the Kentucky Derby trail with what is suspected to be a soft-tissue injury, trainer Cherie DeVaux said Thursday.

Mesquite breezed Jan. 30 at Fair Grounds but has not had a workout since. DeVaux said Mesquite will be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage in Kentucky next week.

“He’s off the Derby trail,” DeVaux said. “It’s something we’ve been monitoring. Dr. Bramlage needs to see the horse and come up with a plan.”

Mesquite was removed from betting for this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Mesquite, a son of Union Rags owned by Paul Winandy’s LBD Stable, won a one-mile maiden race on Nov. 7, his second career start, at Churchill Downs. In the Lecomte, he made a wide rally under Flavien Prat while his stablemate Golden Tempo rallied along the rail to beat him by three-quarters of a length.

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DeVaux was planning to run Mesquite in the Rebel Stakes on March 1 at Oaklawn Park.

Mesquite was listed as an individual betting in interest the Kentucky Derby Future Wager offered by Churchill Downs. He was 96-1 in pool 2 and 57-1 in pool 3. He was to be offered as an individual in pool 4, which was set to open Friday.

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