Quality Road has quarter crack
By David Grening
ELMONT, N.Y. - Quality Road, considered among the top three candidates for the May 2 Kentucky Derby, has a quarter crack in his right hind foot, making his status for the Run for the Roses a bit uncertain.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Monday morning that he is "very concerned" about the situation but that it would be premature to say the horse can't make the Derby,

"You hope it was resolved by now, that's for sure, but he's not out of it yet,"said Jerkens, who trains Quality Road for owner/breeder Ed Evans. "The fact that he's not lame from it is a good thing."

Jerkens said he noticed the quarter crack in the winner's circle of the Florida Derby, which Quality Road won at Gulfstream Park on March 28. Quality Road had a patch put on the crack while still in Florida and he even trained last Wednesday morning at Palm Meadows before shipping back to New York.

By Friday afternoon, however, Jerkens noticed that Quality Road "wouldn't put all his weight on" his right hind foot.

Ian McKinlay, the noted hoof specialist who worked on dual-classic winner Big Brown last year, saw the horse Friday and pulled the old patch and put on a three-quarter bar shoe. He saw the horse again Sunday and put in a set of wires to stabilize the crack. On Monday, Quality Road galloped at Belmont, Jerkens said, but came back to the barn with blood dripping from the area.

"He galloped this morning and he was absolutely sound on it, but it did trickle a little blood, which means there's still some friction going on in there," Jerkens said. "We have to get that inflammation out before we do anything."

Quality Road's foot was treated with Animalintex, which contains a mild antiseptic plus a natural poultice agent designed to draw heat out of the foot. Quality Road would likely not train on Tuesday and McKinlay said he would examine the colt Wednesday morning at Belmont.

"He's very sound, there's just heat in there. That's one of my main worries always is heat," McKinlay said.

Jerkens believes he could still make the Derby if he is able to get two good works into Quality Road, who is scheduled to leave for Kentucky on April 28.

Quality Road, a son of Elusive Quality, has won 3 of 4 starts, including the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

Wow... thanks for the 411. Makes me want to cheer for the horse even more. I hope he can make it to the dance if he can't I have no idea who to back.... I guess I will have to see the works at Churchill and throw darts......

This is unfortunate. I've never been a supporter of Quality Road as I've always bet against him but it sucks to see a top contender become unlikely (2 in one weekend for that matter). Plus with a scratch of Quality Road I will lose all of my value on I Want Revenge

WHEN dunkirk slips in under the radar..look out..........future bettors must be GAGGING biggest sucker bets going in my mind.....a license to steal millions from the public.....

Quality Road is going to be fine. Plenty of time to heal and its not anywhere near as bad as Big Browns crack.
Great reporting by Steve Haskin. Everyone else is still running for 2nd.

I was just gonna post an article about it, but i see it's already been addressed. Just another example of why people (like Draynay) shouldn't talk in absolutes when it comes to gambling. Especially when it comes to winning the Derby, which is a very dicey propsition. Good luck to Quality Road though; he and Win Willy are my main hopes right now.


from Thoroughbred Times:


Edward P. Evans’s homebred Grade 1 winner Quality Road, one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), has a quarter crack in his right hind foot.

The Elusive Quality colt won the Florida Derby Presented by Blackberry (G1) on March 28, setting a track record at Gulfstream Park as he covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.72. After the race, trainer Jimmy Jerkens discovered a quarter crack on the inside corner of the foot.

Chris Baker, farm manager of Evans’s Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, Virginia, said Quality Road is being treated by hoof specialist Ian McKinlay, who worked on dual classic winner Big Brown’s quarter crack last year.

“These things are not black and white; unfortunately a little bit of it is day by day,” Baker said of his chances to be ready for the Kentucky Derby. “But you’re looking at a little under four weeks out; if we can get it under control and resume normal training in the near future, we don’t see it as preventing us from going into the Derby fully prepared to run our race.

“The good news is he has proven himself to be a Grade 1 horse and one of the best of his crop. Hopefully, he gets a chance to show that at Churchill in the Derby and if he doesn’t, hopefully he’ll get to do it later in the year. We know we’ve got a good horse, we just have to take care of him and get him right. He’ll compete when he’s ready.”

Quality Road has amassed three wins and one second from four starts, including victories in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby.

“We have a great sense of accomplishment and he has everyone really excited as only this kind of thing can when you’re in this business at this time of year,” Baker said. “We’re enjoying it fully, and we’ve still got our fingers crossed that this is only a bump in the road and we’ll be able to continue to compete well through the classics.”

The last time i saw everyone else running for second in a triple crown race, all of the UPS trucks seemed to run out of fuel that day. That was a long time ago, lets see, ummmm, oh yea, the last triple crown race.

If It Crack ......ed........see Dutrow Or Mullins They Got Somebody That Will Take Care Of You

Stick To Dual Quiflers Their Not Made In China

I'm sticking to Dunkirk. I said he'd be going to the Derby on his Maiden Voyage and here we are. He was 1 1/2 len. behind QR and getting better with each race. Coming up to the Derby perfectly, going foward with another improved performance will put him in the winners circle. (Charitable Man will be my choice inthe Blue Grass). May the Horse be with you.