Elmont, NY (My Sportsbook) - Florida Derby winner Quality Road came back from a Sunday morning gallop at Belmont Park's training track with a small amount of blood from a quarter-crack of the right front foot. The colt was sent out for a 1 3/4 mile gallop in preparation for a possible start in Saturday's $2 million Kentucky Derby.

Quality Road, owned by Edward Evans, developed a quarter-crack of the right hind foot following his win at Gulfstream Park. That injury was repaired, but the second quarter-crack was discovered last week. Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay has been treating the latest injury after patching the original quarter-crack.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens is still optimistic that Quality Road can start in the Kentucky Derby. Jerkens will have the colt breeze five furlongs Monday morning, after which a decision will be made on Quality Road's entry in the Run for the Roses.

"He has to work to our liking and come out of it perfectly," said Jerkens. "If he takes one bad step anywhere, forget it. He's got 24 hours to get better. I would have liked to have seen no blood, but it didn't surprise me because he was still tender. He's sound, he galloped the way he usually does, but I would have been more optimistic without blood."

Quality Road also jogged Friday morning at the Belmont Park training track.

"Instead of galloping him," Jerkens said Friday, "which probably would have put a little too much stress on him, we just jogged him a couple of miles and he handled that very well and jogging obviously is a lot easier on the horse in all ways, respiration wise and on the legs than galloping."