No More Time hurt during workout, will miss Kentucky Derby

No More Time, winner of the Grade 3 Sam. F. Davis and runner-up in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, suffered an injury during a workout Sunday morning at the Palm Meadows training center in South Florida and is out of the Kentucky Derby, trainer Jose D’Angelo said.

That development opens up a spot in the May 4 Kentucky Derby for Lexington Stakes winner Encino should his connections want to run. After Saturday’s Lexington, trainer Brad Cox mentioned the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes as possible for Encino’s next race.

According to D’Angelo, No More Time worked “amazing” Sunday at Palm Meadows, but he was off back at the barn. X-rays revealed a condylar fracture of the left front leg, D’Angelo said.

D’Angelo said Dr. Joel Lugo, of Ocala Equine Hospital in Ocala, Fla, will perform surgery.

“It is what it is, tough game,” D’Angelo said.

D’Angelo is hopeful to get No More Time back for a late 3-year-old or 4-year-old campaign.

No More Time, a son of Not This Time owned by Rich Mendez’s Morplay Racing, had two wins and two seconds from five starts. He won a one-mile maiden race in his second start at Gulfstream Park last Oct. 22. After finishing fifth in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, No More Time was entered in, but scratched from, the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 3 to run in the Sam Davis, a race he won by 1 1/4 lengths.

In the Tampa Bay Derby, on March 9, No More Time battled all the way on the lead only to come up a neck short to Domestic Product.

Javier Castellano, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby on Mage, was expected to ride No More Time in the Derby.

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