By Christie DeBernardis
Champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) has been ruled out of a start in Saturday's GI Belmont S. due to an abscess in his front right foot.
“He was fine coming off the plane yesterday, but he could hardly walk this morning,” trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday morning. “It is a foot abscess in the right front, in the same area he had it after the [Feb. 4 GII] Holy Bull [S.]. That is the thing about him. He is just so tough that he doesn't show you until it's bad.”
The John Oxley colorbearer, who was last finishing a close second in the GI Preakness S. May 20, will remain in New York until the foot improves and will be pointed to Monmouth Park's GI Haskell Invitational S. July 30.
“He is soaking in epsom salts right now and it could be gone in an hour. There is not a whole lot you can do with these things,” the conditioner said. “It is bad timing, so now we just have to go out and win the Haskell.”
Casse still has several horses scheduled to race Saturday, including GI Acorn S. contender Salty (Quality Road) and GI Metropolitan H. runner Awesome Slew (Awesome Again).
“We have a lot of good things happening this weekend,” Casse remarked. “We are excited and we aren't going ro let this knock us out.”
The news of Classic Empire's defection from the Belmont was originally reported by the Blood Horse.
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