Sore shin sidelines Miss Southern Miss
ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Southern Miss, the winner of the Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita in her turf debut Oct. 10, will miss Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita because of a sore shin, trainer Keith Desormeaux said on Monday.
Desormeaux said the injury was detected Monday following a gallop. Miss Southern Miss was a leading contender for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf on the basis of her recent win.
“It’s a shame,” Desormeaux said. “She won’t be able to enter. We’ll probably give her 30 to 45 days.”
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Desormeaux said the shin will be X-rayed to gain a full prognosis.
Owned by Pete Cantrell, Miss Southern Miss has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $164,600.
The absence of Miss Southern Miss is expected to allow La Force, who was third in the Surfer Girl Stakes, to gain a berth in the field. The race drew 21 pre-entries last week and will be limited to 14 starters.
Promise To Be True, who was among the 14 horses invited to the race, finished third in the Group 1 Criterium International in Paris on Sunday and was not shipped to California, Breeders’ Cup officials said. With Honors, another invitee, is expected to be entered in Saturday’s BC Juvenile Fillies.
Without them in the field, Madam Dancealot and Happy Mesa are scheduled to gain berths in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. La Force, trained by Paddy Gallagher, was third on the list of eligible candidates. She had her American debut in the Surfer Girl Stakes, finishing three lengths behind Miss Southern Miss.