Vitalogy 'sound,' but deemed a Breeders' Cup vet scratch
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf contender Vitalogy showed up Friday morning at Santa Anita Park as a surprise scratch from a group of five championship events for 2-year-olds. The defection wasn't by choice.
Hunter Valley Farm manager Fergus Galvin, who purchased the No Nay Never colt earlier this season as a 2-year-old in training, called it an "unfortunate scratch" in a tweet, adding that the "horse is sound but didn't move tot he satisfaction of the vet panel."
Vitalogy overcame a wide post and tough trip last out in Keeneland's Bourbon Stakes (G3) to finish a close second. He entered the week looking live alongside of fellow Brendan Walsh trainee Maxfield, the Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner who Walsh voluntarily pulled from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
It can be a tough game, even for the good guys.
Vitalogy runs for Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Bottle Rocket Stable. He was previously trained by Joseph O'Brien when third in his first North American start in Woodbine's Summer Stakes (G1).
Vets also scratched Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf contender Thais. Her trainer, Chad Brown, disputed the call as well.
Officials' decisions, of course, come with the Breeders' Cup under a national media and animal activist microscope in the wake of a spate of equine fatalities last season at Santa Anita Park. In a pre-Breeders' Cup news conference, it was said that each contender will be looked over by an independent veterinarian three times before deemed ready to race.
Vitalogy's scratch allowed the Juvenile Turf's also-eligible, Deviant, to draw in with Drayden Van Dyke set to ride. A Danny Pish-trained son of Daredevil, Deviant was 11th in the Bourbon but won multiple stakes before that at Retama Park and Louisiana Downs.