Breaking: Thunder Snow scratched from Whitney Stakes

Godolphin's multiple Group 1 winner Thunder Snow, back-to-back winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan for trainer Saeed bin Suroor, will be a stakes scratch from Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

"We took him to the track this morning and he came back to the barn and coughed a few times," bin Suroor said. "We took his temperature and he's running a little bit of a fever. In the best interests of the horse, we will be passing on the Whitney today."

Thunder Snow, the world's richest active racehorse with purse earnings of $16,511,476, was set to make his first start at Saratoga in the nine-furlong Whitney.

The 92nd running of the Whitney, to be broadcast nationwide on NBC from 5-6 p.m. EDT, is a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Karl Watson, Michael Pegram, and Paul Weitman's McKinzie, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is the 7-5 morning line favorite in the Whitney, a field that includes fellow Grade 1-winners Yoshida and Vino Rosso.

There was another scratch of note Saturday morning.

Andy Serling, NYRA TV analyst and handicapper, tweeted a list of scratches that included 3-5 morning-line favorite World of Trouble from the day’s fifth race, the Troy Stakes (G3).

The Jason Servis-trained World of Trouble has won nine of his 13 career starts, including last out June 8 in Belmont Park’s Jaipur Invitational Stakes (G1).