Runaway Ghost injured, will miss Kentucky Derby

Sunland Derby winner Runaway Ghost will miss the Kentucky Derby after coming out of a Saturday work with a suspected hairline fracture to his right front cannon bone, according to his trainer, Todd Fincher.

Diagnostics were taken when the horse was cooling out after a six-furlong move in 1:13.80 at his base of Sunland Park.

“We can see a small line there,” Fincher said. “Right after the workout he was fine. During the cool-out period he started being off. We took X-rays and he had a little profile on the shin – a faint sign.”

Fincher said Runaway Ghost will undergo more diagnostics. The horse is expected to return to racing following a recovery period, but the timing will force him from the Kentucky Derby. Runaway Ghost was scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Tuesday.

“He’ll heal-up 100 percent,” Fincher said. “We hate to miss this because everybody is so excited for the owners to live the dream, run in the Kentucky Derby. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Runaway Ghost races for his breeder, Joe Peacock. The horse won the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 25, picking up 50 points for the Kentucky Derby. He was the favorite following a win in the Riley Allison in January at Sunland and a runner-up to Reride in the Mine That Bird Derby in February at Sunland.
“He earned his way in, things didn’t work out,” Fincher said. “We know he’s good enough to compete.”

Runaway Ghost is a son of Ghostzapper.