Minor issue knocks Shancelot out of Saudi Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Shancelot will not make his 2020 debut in the $1.5 million Saudi Sprint in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 29 as originally planned, trainer Jorge Navarro confirmed on Friday.

“He came up with a setback, nothing serious,” said Navarro. “Knowing the horse, there’s just something I’m not comfortable with and you need to be 110 percent to go to that place and then travel to Dubai afterwards.”

Had all gone well, Shancelot, who is owned by Crawfords Farm Racing, was to ship directly from Saudi Arabia to Meydan following the Sprint for the Dubai Golden Shaheen four weeks later. Navarro won the 2019 Golden Shaheen with the late X Y Jet.

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“I sat down with the owners a couple of days ago and told them I wasn’t completely happy with the way he was at the moment, but that he’d be okay in a couple of days,” said Navarro. “And with the Crawfords, the welfare of the horse always comes first. We need more people like them in this game.”

Shancelot has not started since finishing second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Eclipse Award winner Mitole, after setting the pace to deep stretch in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Shancelot first gained national recognition with his 12 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam this summer at Saratoga. He subsequently finished third, beaten a head, in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens at Saratoga, and second, beaten a head by Omaha Beach, in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship prior to closing out his 3-year-old campaign in the Breeders’ Cup.

Shancelot has had six works, all at Gulfstream Park West, in preparation for his expected start in the Saudi Sprint. His last work was five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Feb. 5.

“He has been working excellent, I couldn’t ask anything better from my horse,” said Navarro. “But we just want to be safe and stay on the conservative side. It’s a long year. We’ll see how he comes out of this, and if all goes well we’ll still shoot for the Golden Shaheen.”