Report: 'Not looking good' for McKinzie's Derby chances

Back from the Dubai World Cup, trainer Bob Baffert told the Daily Racing Form on Monday morning that "it's not looking good" for McKinzie's chances of making the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

That's not an assessment based on points -- the colt's 40 should be enough to qualify him -- but his health. Per DRF, the multiple stakes winner has a hind leg issue that has yet to be clearly diagnosed.

“He’s sound, but a nuclear scan we did wasn’t 100 percent," the trainer said. "It doesn’t look serious, but we’ve got to wait. His X-rays are clean. But he tweaked something." McKinzie was originally scheduled to make his final prep in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby in a rematch with Bolt d'Oro. The two battled to the wire in California's previous Derby prep, the Grade 2 San Felipe, with Bolt d'Oro awarded the win due to McKinzie's move out on him in deep stretch. McKinzie's defection opened up the opportunity for stablemate Justify -- un-raced at age 2, and unbeaten at age 3 -- to join the Santa Anita Derby field. Justify was originally pointed to the April 14 Arkansas Derby, another Grade 1 race.