Casino Drive scratched from Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, New York (Reuters) - Big Brown's path to the Triple Crown got much easier when biggest rival Casino Drive was scratched from Saturday's Belmont Stakes with a bruised hoof.

Casino Drive's Japanese connections were concerned Friday about the tender left-hind hoof and decided to let the colt trot around the Belmont Park track Saturday.

When the son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft walked gingerly following the brief workout the decision was made to skip the mile-and-a-half race.

"This morning, he was feeling well, so we took him to the track for a canter," Nobutaka Tada, spokesperson for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, told reporters.

"He came back well to the stable, but later he started favoring his left-hind again.

"It's not serious, just a small stone bruise, and he will be fine. But the timing is terrible."

Before being scratched, Kentucky-bred Casino Drive was the 9/2 second choice for the $1 million Belmont behind unbeaten hot favorite Big Brown.

Tada said the colt would be sent back to Japan to heal.

Big Brown is trying to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first in 30 years.

(Writing by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Dave Thompson)