Favorite Flying Scotsman to scratch from Eddie Logan

ARCADIA, Calif. – An unspecified setback will preclude the exciting 2-year-old colt Flying Scotsman from running Friday in the $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita, a mile turf race in which he would have been heavily favored.

“He has a small problem and we’re not going to be able to run,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said early Wednesday morning. “I’m going to have to scratch.”

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Flying Scotsman delivered one of the season’s most impressive turf-race performances by a 2-year-old last month at Del Mar. He won the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille by more than four lengths, racing a mile in 1:34.44 with a final quarter in a blistering 22.88 seconds. He earned a 91 Beyer, the top turf figure by a 2-year-old male in North America this year.

Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, Flying Scotsman is a ridgling son of English Channel. He has two wins from three starts. He finished third in his debut, followed by a maiden victory and the Cecil B. DeMille in which he was ridden by Flavien Prat.

The defection of Flying Scotsman leaves the Eddie Logan Stakes with nine likely runners. The top contenders include sprint stakes winner Sparky Ville, Cecil B. DeMille runner-up Rijeka, along with last-out maiden winners Bob and Jackie and More Ice.

In related news, Hollendorfer has postponed the initial comeback breeze by budding 2-year-old star Instagrand. A runaway winner in both his starts, including the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar before he was given a break, Instagrand is galloping regularly at Santa Anita and expected to commence working later this week.