Centennials Farms' Wicked Strong, who clipped heels in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, stumbling and unseating jockey Rajiv Maragh, will not be sent to Santa Anita Park for the Breeders' Cup World Championships and will be put away for the remainder of the year, trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Oct. 1.
The son of Hard Spun, who was coming off a nose defeat to stablemate V.E. Day in the Travers Stakes, appeared to be running strongly in the Gold Cup, moving up into a contending position, when Junior Alvarado, on Moreno, came in sharply, causing the colt to clip heels and nearly fall.
"He came out of the race OK," Jerkens said. "He did run down on one hind leg, but he's done that before, so I don't think the incident had anything to do with it. We've decided to give him the rest of the year off and not go to California. We were thinking that way even after the Travers. I think it's unfair to have the Breeders' Cup out there every year. The Californians always have the best shot. How are you going to beat them going across the country from cool to hot weather? We want to have a nice horse for next year."
Wicked Strong has captured the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial and Jim Dandy Stakes this year and was fourth in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
Jerkens said V.E. Day, who made a threatening move from last in the Gold Cup before flattening out in the stretch, will also stay home.
"He got a little nick on his hind leg that blew up a little," he said. "I may put him back on grass in the Red Smith [Handicap at Aqueduct Nov. 15]."