AS you read last week, trainer Ian Wilkes was stacking blocks with the undefeated McCraken. Well, those blocks tumbled as the son of Ghostzapper came out of a recent breeze with an ankle issue. McCraken will skip the Tampa Bay Derby on March 11th, but hasn’t been ruled out of the Kentucky Derby picture. Derby fever can be hard to shake.

McCraken’s absence will provide an opportunity for the likes of No Dozing, State of Honor, Tapwrit, Money Monster, Third Day, Wild Shot and a few who might scratch from the Fountain of Youth, namely the inexperienced but talented Beasley.