Justique spikes fever, will be scratched from Santa Ynez

Justique, the 4-5 morning-line favorite in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Santa Ynez, will not run after spiking a fever this week.

“I’m going to scratch,” trainer John Shirreffs said Saturday morning. “She had a little temperature.”

Justique will now await the $200,000 Las Virgenes (G3) going one mile on Jan. 28, Shirreffs added.

“She only had a temperature for a day (on Thursday) and she seems pretty good, but I don’t know how she’ll run under those circumstances,” Shirreffs said.

The seven-furlong Santa Ynez originally was scheduled for last Sunday, but it was postponed when wet conditions forced the cancellation of that day’s program. The expected scratch of Justique leaves a five-horse field in the Santa Ynez.

Justique earned the favorite’s role for the Santa Ynez following an impressive last-to-first rally in last month’s Desi Arnaz going seven furlongs at Del Mar. The daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify was a $725,000 auction purchase for owner C R K Stable. She previously won her debut sprinting at Del Mar this summer and was third in the Chandelier (G2) at Santa Anita when stretched to 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 8.