Baffert: McKinzie won't run in Santa Anita Derby

Published Mar. 31, 2018 8:44 p.m. ET

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) McKinzie will miss the Santa Anita Derby on April 7 because of an unspecified problem.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert confirmed the colt won't run in the West Coast's major prep for the Kentucky Derby due to an issue in one of his hind legs. X-rays and scans haven't confirmed what it is.

Baffert said Saturday in Dubai that McKinzie is ''definitely out,'' according to multiple media reports. He says he's being ''very cautious.''

The colt edged Bolt d'Oro in the San Felipe Stakes on March 10, but was disqualified and placed second for interference in the stretch.

McKinzie was 10th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 40 points for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman. The colt won the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity on Dec. 9 and the Sham Stakes on Jan. 6.

Baffert was in the Middle East to saddle West Coast and Mubtaahij to second- and third-place finishes in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.