Super Steed diagnosed with bone bruising, off Kentucky Derby trail

Southwest (G3) winner Super Steed will not have the opportunity to try to emulate his Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning sire, Super Saver. Trainer Larry Jones told Oaklawn Park publicity Sunday that the colt was diagnosed with bone bruising in a front leg, and accordingly will head to Kentucky for a 60-90 day vacation.

“He came out of that last race with a little more of an issue than I realized,” Jones said of the aftermath of the February 18 Southwest.

“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, nothing is needed. He just needs rest.

“It’s one of these FRAM oil filter deals – pay me now or pay me later. 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. He’s going to have to get a little time. He’s getting bone bruising and he’s only going to get worse.”

Super Steed was a 62-1 overlay in the Southwest, bettors dismissing him in the wake of subpar efforts in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds (fourth) and in Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones (seventh) January 25. But Mike Pressley’s homebred, co-owned by namesake Steed Jackson, returned to the form that saw him dominate a Churchill Downs allowance last November.

Another Oaklawn-based sophomore, Smarty Jones and Sugar Bowl hero Gray Attempt, is missing some time with what the track notes described as a minor setback. But the Jinks Fires trainee has a much quicker timetable to return to action. Although the March 16 Rebel (G2) is ruled out, he could be ready for the April 13 Arkansas Derby (G1). Gray Attempt had his three-race winning streak snapped in the Southwest, where he bore out early in a tough trip and wound up last of 11.

Super Steed is the second Derby points race winner to fall off the trail in a week. Remsen (G2) winner Maximus Mischief, third as the Holy Bull (G2) favorite, was shelved with injury after failing to shine in a work last Sunday.

As far as exit reports from Saturday’s Fountain of Youth (G2), Global Campaign grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate, and that may have affected his fifth-place finish. Trainer Stan Hough told Daily Racing Form that the Curlin half-brother to Bolt d’Oro would need an unspecified amount of time to recover.

Top two Code of Honor and Bourbon War were in fine fettle Sunday morning, as was seventh-placer Signalman, according to Gulfstream publicity.