Super Steed Off Derby Trail; Gray Attempt to Miss Rebel
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Photo: Ryan Thompson
Super Steed and jockey Terry Thompson after winning the Southwest at Oaklawn Park
Super Steed is off the Kentucky Derby trail because of bone bruising in a front leg, trainer Larry Jones said the morning of March 3.
While the injury isn't career-threatening, Jones said Super Steed will require 60-90 days of rest, eliminating any chance of wearing the roses like his sire, Super Saver , did in 2010. Based this winter at Oaklawn Park, Super Steed, at odds of 62-1, was a three-quarter-length winner of the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 18.
"He's walking, but not perfect by any means," Jones said before training hours. "We just found out yesterday afternoon that's he got the issue because I galloped him yesterday and he came back and everything was good."
Super Steed was being pointed toward the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 16, Oaklawn's final major prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 13.
Campaigned by his breeder, Mike Pressley, and Steed Jackson, Super Steed broke his maiden by six lengths against optional-claiming allowance company Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs. After finishing fourth as the even-money favorite in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and seventh in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 25 at Oaklawn, Super Steed won the Southwest with a powerful five-wide move on the backstretch under Terry Thompson. He had a total of 10 points toward entry in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
"He came out of that last race with a little more of an issue than I realized," Jones said. "We did some X-rays, and it just looks like if we don't stop now, we're going to run into trouble. Thank God there's no surgery, no nothing needed. Just needs rest."
Jones said Super Steed will be sent to Kentucky to recover.
"It's one of these FRAM oil filter deals—pay me now or pay me later," Jones said. "We could probably get another race out of him. We would probably be OK, but probably wouldn't come out of it as good as what we went in."
In another development Sunday morning, trainer Jinks Fires said Smarty Jones winner Gray Attempt was no longer under consideration for the Rebel Stakes because of a minor setback. Fires said the hope is the son of Graydar who finished 11th in the Southwest can make the Arkansas Derby.