Tappan Street Suffers Injury, Out of Kentucky Derby

Up until this point, all of the Kentucky Derby defections were for horses who were opting to participate in different races. One week from the Run for the Roses, one horse got some bad news.

Tappan Street breezed five furlongs Saturday morning in :59.60. Trainer Brad Cox said after the workout that the horse sustained a condylar injury to his right-front foreleg. He was reportedly transported from Churchill Downs via ambulance to undergo surgery. He’s expected to recover.

Sired by Into Mischief, this WinStar Farm colt was lightly raced. Tappan Street won its third start in the Florida Derby, knocking off Sovereignty at Gulfstream Park to secure a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. The horse would’ve have been a top-five choice by bettors on Kentucky Derby day.

To be candid, I was about 99% sure this was going to be my Derby horse. He looked so good in the Florida Derby, gliding effortlessly past the competition. Even though Journalism is the bona fide favorite, Tappan Street was following the same path as Mage, a horse from the Florida circuit who won the Kentucky Derby in his fourth start. This stinks. At least the injury is not too severe, allowing the horse to recover if all goes well.

The injury to Tappan Street is shaking up the field, so much so that even I am surprised. Kenny McPeek said on Friday that Render Judgment would not run in the Kentucky Derby. Now with a chance to actually participate in the race, its connections have decided they will, in fact, give the Triple Crown a shot.

No offense, but they shouldn’t. The Virginia Derby runner-up isn’t going to win on the first Saturday in May.

It’s unfortunate because Baeza should be in the field of 20. Horseplayers have been publicly pleading for Baeza to be put into the starting gate since he ran second in the Santa Anita Derby. Typically, that’s enough to get into the Kentucky Derby, but a change in the points system punished Baeza for racing in a small field. John Shirreff still needs at least one more change for his horse to enter the field on the first Saturday in May.

Post positions will be officially drawn for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby during Opening Night at Churchill Downs. The event will be live-streamed from the Paddock, starting at 7 PM ET.

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