Wonderboy out of Derby

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy will miss the Kentucky Derby on May 6 after sustaining an injury to his right front ankle.

The Doug O’Neill-trained three-year-old suffered a hairline fracture during a six-furlong workout at Hollywood Park.

“It’s devastating, but I’ve been around racing enough that unfortunately it’s not a surprise,” reasoned Stevie Wonderboy’s owner Merv Griffin.

“This is the time of year where as an owner or trainer you’re just kneeling and praying that something doesn’t go wrong for these guys but it did.

Stevie Wonderboy, a winner of three races from five starts as a juvenile, began the current campaign by finishing second to Brother Derek in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on January 14.

O’Neill’s colt must now undergo surgery and will be out of action for at least three months.

“These injuries can be life or death for the horse so it’s good that for Stevie it’s going to be life,” Griffin told www.thoroughbredtimes.com.

“It’s the timing of it that’s so bad. It’s sad for Stevie, sad for me, and I think it’s sad for racing.”