Churchill Downs: Calibrachoa to skip Churchill Downs Stakes

Calibrachoa has not fully recovered from the bruised foot that knocked him out of last month’s Grade 1 Carter and thus will not enter Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Churchill Downs Stakes here. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Calibrachoa would point to the True North Handicap at Belmont Park on June 11.

Calibrachoa, who won three consecutive stakes including the Grade 3 Tom Fool since being claimed for $40,000 by Pletcher and owner Mike Repole, scratched out of the Carter in early April due a bruised foot. Between having to give the horse a little time off and the constant wet tracks in Kentucky that made it difficult to train, Pletcher opted to skip this race.

“Just ran out of time,” said Pletcher, who will still be represented in the race by Aikenite and Ibboyee. “Unlike the 3-year-olds, there’s no rush.”