Sharp Azteca to miss Godolphin Mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sharp Azteca will not make a planned trip to Dubai to compete in the Godolphin Mile due to a minor injury sustained after his most recent work, owner Ivan Rodriguez confirmed on Monday.

Sharp Azteca is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup. He won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile following a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to close out his 2017 campaign. Sharp Azteca missed a scheduled work on March 3, but came back to turn in a bullet five furlongs in 59 seconds at Gulfstream Park West the following Saturday. He also missed what was scheduled to be his final work for the Godolphin Mile this past weekend.

“He came down with a little inflammation in his foot after his last work,” said Rodriguez. “The area scanned clear, but we didn’t want to take a chance of sending him all the way over to Dubai then having to scratch him if it flared up again. We want to have a fresh horse for the rest of the year, so we’ve sent him to the farm for a little rest and will point for the Met Mile later this spring.”

Sharp Azteca finished a distant second behind Mor Spirit in the 2017 Met Mile.

Trainer Jorge Navarro was unavailable for comment on Monday as he was on a flight to Dubai where he will still send out X Y Jet to compete in the Golden Shaheen on March 31. X Y Jet will be one of three South Florida-based horses on a flight to Dubai that departs Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday, along with Mind Your Biscuits (Golden Shaheen), and Gunnevera, who competes in the main event, the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Gunnevera turned in his final local prep for the World Cup at Gulfstream Park West on Monday, going five furlongs in 1:01 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 with his new rider Joel Rosario aboard.

“Joel was so happy after the work,” said trainer Antonio Sano. “This horse has been training better and better since the Pegasus Cup. This is the best he’s ever trained going into the race. I’m very excited about running him.”