Unbeaten Iroquois winner Cleburne has been ruled out of Saturday’s Breeders’
Cup Juvenile after bucking a shin,
Jennie Rees of the
Courier-Journal reported via Twitter Thursday night.
Owned by Donegal Racing, which recently suffered the loss of multiple Grade 1
star Dullahan, Cleburne was pegged at 12-1 on the morning line for the Juvenile.
Corey Nakatani was scheduled to ride the son of Dixie Union.
Cleburne was one of two Juvenile entrants for trainer Dale Romans, who will
also send out Spendthrift Farm’s Medal Count, a 20-1 chance.
Up in time in his debut on the Ellis Park turf on August 16, Cleburne
likewise closed successfully in his first dirt try in the September 7 Iroquois
at Churchill Downs, posting a 34-1 upset. His victory in that 1 1/16-mile event,
the first on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” scoring system, netted him 10
points toward next May’s Run for the Roses.
Cleburne had topped an all-Donegal/Romans exacta in the Iroquois, with
stablemate Smart Cover just a neck back in second. Smart Cover has reportedly
been sidelined by a shin issue himself.
With Cleburne’s defection, there are 13 remaining in the Juvenile field, led
by 5-2 favorite Havana.
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