Toccet, one of the favorites for this year’s Triple Crown after a string of impressive stakes victories as a 2-year-old, probably will miss this year’s Kentucky Derby because of problem ankles, his owner, Daniel Borislow, said yesterday.

According to Internet reports, trainer John Scanlan noticed Toccet was sore last week when the 3-year-old son of Awesome Again returned to training following his victory in the Dec. 21 Hollywood Futurity. The problem, which Borislow likened to shin splints in a human, was diagnosed at the Rood & Riddle equine clinic in Kentucky and will force Toccet to miss the early Derby prep races in Florida, including the Feb. 15 Fountain of Youth.