Breeders' Cup: Algiers scratched out of Dirt Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Algiers, the Dubai World Cup runner-up, was scratched from Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile due to a foot issue, assistant trainer Ed Crisford said Wednesday.

Crisford, who works with his father, Simon, said Algiers came off the track at Santa Anita Tuesday “slightly off” in his right front foot.

“The foot was red-hot. He was slightly off on that,” Crisford said. “We won’t be able to take him to the track for the next few days. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to run the horse. It’s disappointing. It’s timing, you got to put the horse first at the end of the day.”

Crisford said Algiers will be sent back to England and then on to Dubai for the 2024 Winter Carnival.

Algiers was listed as a 6-1 shot on the morning line in the Dirt Mile, a race that also lost Practical Move on Tuesday, when that horse suffered a cardiovascular episode and died while training.

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The Crisfords sent Algiers to New York in September to run in the Grade 2 Woodward, but was scratched out of that spot due to weather-related concerns regarding Aqueduct’s main track. Algiers was re-rourted to Woodbine, where he finished second in the Grade 2 Durham Cup, a 1 1/16-mile race on synthetic.

Algiers was one of four scratches announced late Tuesday by Breeders Cup officials. Get Smokin was scratched out of the Turf due to a reaggravation of an ankle injury, trainer Mark Casse said. Get Smokin is expected to be out three months. While he was listed at 30-1 on the morning line, he figured to be a pace factor in the race.

Also scratched were Ecoro Neo, a longshot in Friday Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Liam’s Journey, a longshot in the Juvenile Turf.

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