Newgrange to skip Dubai World Cup after potential breathing issue

Newgrange, sixth of seven as the 3-1 favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3, will be rested until late spring or summer after trainer Phil D’Amato said on Wednesday that he is concerned about the 5-year-old horse’s breathing.

Newgrange worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Santa Anita on Wednesday. After the work, D’Amato said Newgrange will not be sent to the United Arab Emirates for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30 and will not have a workout in coming weeks.

“We’re not going to Dubai,” he said. “My plan is that we’ll figure out a path to get to the Pacific Classic and hopefully the Breeders’ Cup.

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“We’ll regroup off his last performance. We’ll get him tip-top and try to get going again.”

The Pacific Classic is run at 1 1/4 miles at Del Mar in late summer. The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run at Del Mar at 1 1/4 miles on Nov. 2.

D’Amato theorized that Newgrange displaced his palate early in the Big Cap, which caused him to fade from contention through the stretch. Newgrange will undergo tests this week, D’Amato said.

“I don’t think he’s getting air the way we’d like him to,” D’Amato said.

Earlier this winter, Newgrange won consecutive Grade 2 stakes at Santa Anita – the San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 26, and the San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 27.

Newgrange, a winner of 7 of 14 starts, will remain with D’Amato’s stable.

“He’ll be at the barn,” D’Amato said. “We’ll back off on him and regroup and have him ready for end of Santa Anita or the start of Del Mar.”

The Santa Anita spring meeting ends on June 16. Del Mar begins its summer meeting on July 20.

By Violence, Newgrange races for David Bernsen, the Little Red Feather Racing partnership and Rockingham Ranch.

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