Runaway Ghost on the mend in Texas

Runaway Ghost, the Sunland Derby winner forced to miss an intended Kentucky Derby start due to injury, had surgery last week in Elgin, Texas, to address a fracture in his right front cannon bone, according to his trainer, Todd Fincher. The horse was injured in one of his final works for the Kentucky Derby.

“He’s doing great – the surgeon was very happy with things,” Fincher said. “He’ll be back in training in a few months.”

Fincher said Runaway Ghost will be spending a few weeks in Texas before returning to New Mexico. The horse came out of an April 14 work at Sunland with a suspected hairline fracture, the injury coming just four days before he was scheduled to ship to Kentucky.

Runaway Ghost had dominated the Sunland Derby, closing for a 2 3/4-length win over a field that included shippers from Southern California and Florida. It was the third stakes win of his career, behind the Golden Nugget last November at Golden Gate Fields and the Riley Allison Derby in January at Sunland.

Runaway Ghost is a son of Ghostzapper who races for his breeder, Joe Peacock. Fincher – and eventually Runaway Ghost – will be based this summer at Ruidoso Downs, which opens its meet next Friday.