Foot bruise will keep Un Ojo out of Preakness

The foot bruise that caused Un Ojo to miss the Kentucky Derby also will keep him out of the Preakness Stakes.

“This morning his foot was a little warm again,” Louisiana-based trainer Ricky Courville told the Preakness media team Monday morning. “The vets went over him, and he’s not 100 percent. I’m dealing with the same thing. I guess the work kind of re-aggravated it.”

This is a departure from Sunday, when trainer Ricky Courville told the Preakness media team that the colt came out of his Saturday workout in good order and would van to Baltimore Monday afternoon.

“He looked really good (Sunday) morning, and in the afternoon they went and checked him out. He was a tad off, the foot was a little warm,” said Courville, whose son, Clay, has been overseeing Un Ojo in Kentucky. “This morning it was the same.”

The gelding, winner of the Rebel (G2) at 7501 odds, worked five-eighths of a mile at Churchill Downs in 1:02, galloping out three-quarters of a mile in a strong 1:14 3/5. He had a scheduled walk day Sunday, with his care overseen by Courville’s son and assistant trainer, Clay Courville.

After the Rebel, the one-eyed colt finished eighth in the Arkansas Derby (G1).