Ready's Gal injured, out of Juvenile Fillies

ELMONT, N.Y. - Ready's Gal, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Frizette, has been withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies after suffering a hairline fracture of her right hind pastern, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning.

The injury was diagnosed following a Sunday morning workout over the Belmont Park training track. Ready's Gal was credited with a five-furlong move in 1:03.64, but did not come back well from the move.

Pletcher said he would send a set of X-rays to Dr. Larry Bramlage in Kentucky to determine if surgery would be necessary.

Pletcher and owner Jim Scatuorchio were extremely disappointed because Ready's Gal looked like a serious contender in the Juvenile Fillies. She had won her first two starts before finishing just three-quarters of a length behind Balletto in the Frizette.

"We were very excited about her chances," Pletcher said. "She seemed like an improving type filly that had done everything right and was coming off the kind of race you could build off of and move forward."

Ready's Gal was the third defection from the Juvenile Fillies in as many days. On Friday, Sis City was withdrawn from consideration, and on Saturday Enduring Will was declared due to illness. There are now 13 runners from the original 16 pre-entrants

It also marked the second Pletcher-trained horse to have been declared from the Breeders' Cup. On Friday, Balto Star was diagnosed with a torn tendon in his right foreleg and was removed from consideration from the Turf.