Guarana to miss BC Filly and Mare Sprint

ELMONT, N.Y. – Guarana, the two-time Grade 1 winning 3-year-old filly, will not race again this year, thus missing a scheduled start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.

“This week in training out of her last work I just wasn’t happy the way she was moving behind,” Brown said. “I’m going to err on the side of caution and make sure she’s all right.”

Guarana, a 3-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Goncalo Torrealba’s Three Chimneys Farm, would likely have been the third choice in the Filly and Mare Sprint behind Covfefe and Come Dancing. Guarana won a maiden race by 14 3/4 lengths at Keeneland in April. She came back to beat Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress by six lengths winning the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont and then took the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

Guarana suffered her first career loss when finishing second to Street Band in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 21.

Brown said Guarana would be sent to Three Chimneys in the coming days to be “looked over and determine what’s bugging her and how much time she’ll need. I don’t anticipate it being too serious, but I can tell you she’s not 100 percent.”