Lucullan forced to miss Manhattan

ELMONT, N.Y. – Lucullan will miss an intended start Saturday in the Grade 1 Manhattan on the Belmont Stakes undercard and likely the rest of the summer after coming out of a breeze last week with an undisclosed injury.

Lucullan worked June 1 at the Greentree training track at Saratoga in what was supposed to be his final Manhattan breeze, but instead has been sent to Kentucky for further evaluation.

“We were planning on running, but we had to send him home for a break,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “The timing is really bad.”

McLaughlin said the exact nature of Lucullan’s injury and the amount of time he’ll be forced to miss still was being assessed. He said he hoped Lucullan could return to his barn sometime this fall.

Four-year-old Lucullan, a Hard Spun colt owned by Godolphin, finished third behind Robert Bruce and Spring Quality in the Fort Marcy here at Belmont on May 5. Last fall he was beaten a head by the subsequent Grade 1 winner Yoshida in the Hill Prince Stakes.