2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile: Rattle N Roll withdrawn
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rattle N Roll, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and one of the top would-be contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Friday at Del Mar, has been withdrawn from consideration after being diagnosed Sunday with a minor foot bruise.
Trainer Ken McPeek said he and his staff noticed Rattle N Roll “had a hind foot bothering him this morning” at his Churchill Downs barn, “and after we pulled a shoe and took a close look, he’s got just a small bruise there. It’s not a major thing, but obviously the timing is a big deal.”
Rattle N Roll, owned by the Mackin family of Louisville, had been scheduled to be on the Federal Express flight out of Indianapolis transporting numerous Breeders’ Cup candidates to California on Monday.
“Obviously he’s not going,” McPeek said. “I’m not sure what we’ll do with him in the coming days, but he’s such a good colt, we’ll take care of him and get him all healed up for the big 3-year-old races early next year. Sometimes this is just the way the ball bounces.”
Rattle N Roll was rated the 8-1 fourth choice for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the early Daily Racing Form line. From the first crop of the young sire Connect, he has won two of four starts, with a 4 1/4-length triumph in the Oct. 9 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland being his most recent.
Rattle N Roll breezed early Saturday at Churchill over a sloppy track when going five furlongs in 1:02.40.