Gaudreau Has a Fever, Will Miss BC Juvenile

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) field was reduced to seven Oct. 28 when Champagne Stakes (G1) runner-up Gaudreau was scratched from the $2 million race. Co-owner and managing partner Peter Bradley said the fever was detected Wednesday morning, knocking the 8-1 fifth choice out of the 1 1/16-mile race at Keeneland. "It just came about today," Bradley said. "Everything was as good as could be yesterday evening and Chad was saying how well the horse was training. The draw was exactly what we wanted. We thought the extra distance would help. We thought we were sitting on a big one. It's a gut shot anytime this happens, especially with a horse going into a race like this." Bradley said he will confer with trainer Chad Brown and then likely point the son of Nyquist toward a 3-year-old campaign. "It's short term," Bradley said. "So with a 2-year-old like him, the dream is very much alive. The good news is we will live to fight another day. We'll take our time and talk with Chad and probably point for a 3-year-old campaign after we give him some downtime." Gaudreau was victorious in his Aug. 8 debut at Saratoga Race Course, beating Coach Pope and U. S. S. Valor, both of whom returned to post huge maiden wins in their next starts. He was second to U. S. S. Valor by 6 1/2 lengths in the Champagne. Gaudreau is also owned by Tanglewood Thoroughbreds, Thirty Year Racing, Rodeo Creek Racing, Laura Leigh Stable, and Swift Thoroughbreds. In other scratches and changes announced Wednesday by Breeders' Cup, Go for Launch is out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), clearing a spot for also-eligible Silent Beauty (IRE) to move into the body of the race; Scottish Lassie is scratched from the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1); Induction is out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T); Zulu Kingdom (IRE) is scratched from the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T); Evershed (IRE) is out of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf opening a starting position for also-eligible Vina Arana (IRE), who had also been entered as an also-eligible for the Mile, a race she will not pursue; and Test Score is scratched from the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), allowing also-eligible Map of Stars (GB) to draw into the field.