Becrux out of Hong Kong Mile

Woodbine Mile winner Becrux has been withdrawn by Team Valor from the $2 million Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on Dec. 10. Suffering from a quarter crack before his seventh-place finish in the Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park on Nov. 24, Becrux did not come out of that effort as well as trainer Neil Drysdale had hoped. The trainer, however, has not ruled out a later trip to Hong Kong for Becrux for the $1 million Champions Mile on April 29.

Becrux's foreign-trained replacement in the Hong Kong Mile will be Linngari, winner of the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort and the Group 3 Al Rashidiya at Nad Al Sheba last winter. An Indian Ridge 4-year-old trained by David Lowther, Linngari has since scored in the six-furlong Group 2 Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden and was a neck second to Caradak in the seven-furlong Group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in his most recent outing, on Sept. 30. With Becrux's defection, Woodbine Mile runner-up Rebel Rebel will be the only American runner in the Hong Kong Mile. The U.S. will also be represented by Fast Parade in the Hong Kong Sprint.

Ouija Board has been installed by British bookmakers Coral as their 7-4 favorite to conclude her career with a victory in the 1 1/2-mile Hong Kong Vase on Dec. 10. Coral also rates Arc runner-up and Champion Stakes winner Pride as their 9-4 choice to take her career finale in the 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Cup the same day.