McCraken Back on the Worktab After Derby Disappointment

The regrouping process for one of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) favorites is officially underway.

Janis Whitham's homebred McCraken put in his first timed move since running eighth in the first leg of the Triple Crown, going an easy half-mile in :49 4/5 at Churchill Downs the morning of May 23 in preparation for his expected return in the June 17 Matt Winn Stakes (G3).

The Kentucky Derby melee was one that left the Ian Wilkes trainee with some hits to both his reputation and physical well-being. The son of Ghostzapper   was involved in a chain-reaction incident at the start of the classic that was initiated by Irish War Cry breaking inward from post 17, prompting McCraken out of post 15 to then slam into juvenile champion Classic Empire, who broke outward, just after the break. 

McCraken, who was sent off as the fourth betting choice May 6, emerged with a puncture wound to his left hind by his ankle. Wilkes immediately ruled out running the bay colt back in any of the final two Triple Crown races and said Tuesday that while the wound is still not 100%, it is healing without complication.

"He's doing good. He had a nice light work this morning and I'm very happy with him," Wilkes said of the multiple graded stakes winner. "(The wound) is not totally healed yet, but it is healing good. I'm pleased with how he went today.

"I missed a bit a training with him after the Derby. ... I don't want to have to play catch up. I'd rather just regroup and come again (in the Matt Winn)."

Though McCraken entered the Kentucky Derby having suffered his first career loss when he ran third in the April 8 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, his previously unbeaten record at Churchill Downs and strong impressions during morning training made him one of the buzz horses heading into the first Saturday in May. 

The hard bumping at the start was no help to the cause of any involved. However, Wilkes said his charge still made what he thought was a winning move around the final turn but flattened out in the lane.

"It's tough, you feel like you let a lot of people down with the way he ran," Wilkes said. "But he made his move and in the long run, you just have to put it all together. Hopefully we'll find out as we go on down the road exactly what happened. I can't read too much into it. But right now, the horse is doing great.

"That's the tough thing, it's not an exact science."

McCraken won his first three career starts at Churchill, including the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last November. He has four wins from six career starts and $410,848 in earnings.