Jaycito to miss Derby, aim for Belmont

(Victory Gallop), whose road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) has been compromised by

a hoof bruise, will be forced to miss the 137th Run for the Roses.

A distant runner-up to the sidelined Premier Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus) in

the March 12 San Felipe S. (G2) in his reappearance, Jaycito developed the hoof

bruise a couple of weeks later. Although the Bob Baffert trainee was able to

record a six-furlong work in 1:13 2/5 at Santa Anita on April 2, he exited the

drill with tenderness in the foot.

Baffert decided to scratch him from the April 9 Santa Anita Derby (G1) and

aim for this past Saturday's Lexington S. (G3) at Keeneland. Yet Jaycito has yet

to turn in a timed work, and the back-up plan didn't come to fruition.

"He's not 100 percent," owner Ahmed Zayat told Steve Haskin of The

Blood-Horse, "and neither Bob nor I would ever run a horse just for the sake

of running.