National Treasure Out Of Dirt Mile, Musical Chairs Ensues

[Wandering Eyes]

National Treasure (Quality Road), who gave eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) everything he could handle before going down grudgingly in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, will miss this year's event with a foot issue, Daily Racing Form reported Friday afternoon.

Winner of this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Metropolitan Handicap either side of a close fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup, the 4-year-old may have struggled with an off track when sixth to Arthur's Ride (Tapit) in the GI Whitney Stakes Aug. 3 at Saratoga. In his lone start since, National Treasure made the majority of the running in the GI California Crown at Santa Anita Sept. 28 but was grabbed on the wire by Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify). National Treasure had not returned to the worktab since, and the Form reported that a work scheduled for Saturday was canceled.

DRF also reported that the connections of Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) have elected to go in the Dirt Mile over their stated first preference in the Classic. Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. told the publication that Irad Ortiz, Jr. would have the call. That decision means that Pyrenees (Into Mischief) draws into the Classic with Brian Hernandez, Jr. to ride, according to DRF.

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