Sierra Sunset suffers hairline fracture

SIERRA SUNSET (Bertrando), a three-length winner of last Saturday's Rebel S. (G2), will miss the Arkansas Derby (G2) with an ankle problem, trainer Jeff Bonde

reported Thursday morning from his Bay Meadows barn.

"X-rays disclosed a hairline fracture of the left front ankle," Bonde

explained. "It's not bad enough to require surgery, but the colt will miss

60-to-90 days."

Obviously, the timing could not be worse since Sierra Sunset will miss the

Arkansas Derby and, more importantly, the Triple Crown.

"We understand this is part of the game," Bonde said, "but of course this

(injury) is very disappointing. He is a sound colt, he has danced every dance,

he had a clean trip in the Rebel, and he appeared to come out of the race fine.

"The first set of X-rays were clean, but when we took a second set, we found

the hairline. He will take the next available flight back to California, and

we'll go from there."

As a two-year-old, the California-bred Sierra Sunset won the Bay Meadows

Juvenile and California Cup Juvenile prior to concluding his juvenile campaign

with an unplaced effort in the CashCall Futurity (G1). He returned on January 12

with a fourth-place run in the San Rafael S. (G3), and Bonde shipped the bay to

Oaklawn in hopes that he would improve over a conventional dirt surface. The

colt rewarded that decision with a second in the Southwest S. (G3) in his first

start over the Hot Springs, Arkansas, venue.

On February 29, Sierra Sunset worked five-eighths under Luis Quinonez in :59

1/5, the fastest work of the year at Oaklawn. He proceeded to go on and capture

the Rebel, which was his first win at the graded level. The $1 million

Arkansas Derby, scheduled for closing day April 12, would have been his next

step on the Road to the Roses.

In recent years, the Arkansas Derby has become a significant step on the

Triple Crown Trail. Three of its last four winners would go on to secure at

least one jewel of the Triple Crown. The 2004 winner, Smarty Jones, captured the

Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) en route to champion three-year-old

colt honors. Afleet Alex won the 2005 edition before taking the Preakness,

Belmont S. (G1), and the title of champion three-year-old colt.

Last year, reigning Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) was victorious in

the Arkansas Derby prior to finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, winning the

Preakness and just missing in the Belmont. He would go on to score in the

Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), and is currently

readying for the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).

Sierra Sunset will go to the sidelines with an 11-4-3-1 line having banked

$428,696.