Pocono: American Courage to scratch from Hempt

According to trainer Travis Alexander, American Courage, scheduled to start from post 5 in Saturday's $300,000 Max Hempt Memorial main event at The Downs at Pocono, will be scratched sick.

"He trained good the other day, but his blood is just not right and he's just not 100%," said Alexander. "He's better than he's shown his last two starts and we want to give him a chance to prove that down the road in races like the North America Cup, Little Brown Jug and Breeders Crown. We don't want to chase in a fast mile when he isn't right."

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American Courage did cruise to victory in the Messenger Stakes at Yonkers on July 2 but has since fallen on hard times, finishing sixth while interferred with in the Meadowlands Pace and seventh in the Cane Pace when his trainer said he was diagnosed with "thumps" after the race. The condition is an abnormal spasming of the diaphragm. He then rebounded with a New York Sire Stakes victory at Yonkers on August 13.

Alexander hopes to have the current virus in the rearview mirror in the coming days.