Eskendereya is out of the Kentucky Derby. The Giant’s Causeway colt, strongly fancied to give trainer Todd Pletcher his first win in the Run for the Roses, was withdrawn Sunday morning. The Derby will be run on Saturday, May 1. Speaking at a press conference, trainer Pletcher said, “We noticed a swelling in the left front leg early Saturday. We treated the problem but there has been no improvement. He (Eskendereya) is too special a horse. I informed Mr Zayat (owner of the colt) and it’s a phone call I did not want to make. Hopefully, it is not career-threatening. We will do the diagnostics when we get the swelling out.” In recent memory, Eskendereya is the third high profile contender to withdraw from the Derby. In 1992, AP Indy was scratched. Last year, I Want Revenge, winner of the Wood Memorial and the morning line favourite, was withdrawn on Saturday morning. Looking At Lucky will now assume the mantle of favourite. Entries will be taken on Wednesday and the field is limited to 20 runners. Devil May Care, a filly trained by Todd Pletcher, is now a Derby possibility. John Velasquez may be the filly’s partner. The Oaks is also being considered for Devil May Care. We will know on Wednesday. Todd Pletcher has Discreetly Mine, Interactif, Mission Impazible, Rule and Super Saver in the Derby field. It must be pointed out that Pletcher is 0 for 24 in the first leg of the American Triple Crown. Saturday was opening day at Churchill and there was rain all day long. Fields were small. The weather was miserable but the sun was shining for Calvin Borel. Jockey Borel, winner of the Derby twice in the past three years, had five winners and one of them came in the richly-endowed Derby Trial. Jockey Borel clicked with Dublin Da’bet, the 17-10 favourite, in the opener. In the fourth, Borel steered the 6-10 Raposa to a popular victory. Forest Warfare came through for Borel in the 6th as the 3-2 public choice. It was on to the eighth in which Borel’s mount, Cassoulet proved the best to return $10.80. Borel’s fifth win was with Hurricane Ike who was given a rail-skimming ride in the Grade III $233,400 Derby Trial. Hurricane Ike won by two and three quarter lengths in a time of 1 36.35 for the 1600-metre race on a sloppy track. Aikenite ran second. Pleasant Prince finished third and missed the cut for the Derby. Eightyfiveinafifty, the 3-2 chalk, tried to make it all but weakened turning for home to be fourth and ruled himself out of the Derby. Eight sophomores answered the starter’s call. John Sadler trains Hurricane Ike who is owned by Dawn and Ike Thrash. Line of David, winner of Oaklawn’s Arkansas Derby, is an intended runner in the Kentucky Derby and is also owned by the Thrashes. Aikenite has enough earnings to get into the Derby field. Cot Campbell, who manages the group owning Aikenite, has revealed that the Derby is not on his agenda. Calvin Borel rode two winners on Sunday at Churchill Downs bringing his total to seven wins in the first two days of racing. There was a race of some importance run at Aqueduct on Saturday. It was the Grade III $150,000 Withers Stakes over 1600 metres. D’funnybone, on the strength of two Gulfstream wins, was the half money favorite and had Edgar Prado in the irons. Ibboyee, with John Velasquez, was the 16-10 second choice. Neither won. Five ran in the Withers and the race was won by Afleet Again, a 24-1 longshot. Castaneda, Jorge Chavez up, went to the half in 43.82 and ran 1200 metres in 1 07.45 in the 1600-metre Withers. D’funnybone, in a spot of trouble early, went in chase of the pacesetter, took the lead with 400 metres to run. In a matter of moments, D’funnybone was swallowed by Ibboyee who looked like a winner. The furious fractions were taking their toll. As the leg-weary Ibboyee was desperately looking for the wire, Afleet Again, who wanted no part of the senseless vanguard action, came thundering down the late. Afleet Again, ridden by Abel Mariano, won by a length and a half and the time was 1 34.05 on the fast main track. Afleet Again is a son of Afleet Alex, winner of the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes in 2005. Robert Reid Jr trains. Jockey Mariano spoke, “This is the first time I am riding this horse. The trainer told me the track was deep and the stretch was long. He told me not to go too wide. Let him break and when you get to the quarter pole, put him outside were my instructions. That’s what I did. My horse responded and won. I am excited and very happy.” Edgar Prado explained what happened to D’funnybone. “On the backside, my colt kind of shied away from the horse coming in (Castaneda) and I had the chance to get out. He just did not have the finish. The mile got him.” There is news about Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Jess Jackson, primary owner of Rachel Alexandra, has confirmed that the 2009 Eclipse champion will be in the field for the Grade II $400,000 La Troienne Stakes on Friday at Churchill Downs. In her 2010 debut, Rachel Alexandra ran second to Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies’ Handicap at Fair Grounds. She did not go to Oaklawn to face Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom. Zardana is being pointed to La Troienne and that gives Rachel Alexandra a chance to avenge her defeat. Careless Jewel, the Canadian speedball, will also run in the La Troienne, a 1700-metre race on the main track. It is a race for fillies and mares. Jess Jackson elaborated: “Right now, we are pointing there (La Troienne) and we would like it to be. Her work on Monday will tell us a lot more.” Now this is what we know about Zenyatta’s next race. Trainer John Shirreffs made an announcement on Sunday: “The Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park will be our next race. It is a logical choice. For us to ship, it is so much different. We have to ship across the Rockies. It is so much different out here than going up and down the East Coast.” Zenyatta, 16 for 16 in her career, will seek her third consecutive win in the Vanity to be run on June 13 on the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park. It is a race over 1,800 metres and carries Grade I status. The purse is $250,000. Zenyatta has to run at Churchill this fall to defend her Breeders’ Cup Classic. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Zenyatta will have, at least, one race on conventional dirt before the Classic. It is anybody’s guess where that race will be. I will have a report on the two Group I races run at Sha Tin tomorrow. We will also take a look at what happened at Sandown (England) on Saturday. Fallon, Ryan Moore and Richard Hughes won there. The English 1000 and 2000 Guineas are due this weekend at Newmarket. I will give you as much information as I can in the days to come.