Sore suspensory will keep Le General out of Withers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – For the second time in a week, a major contender has been withdrawn from consideration for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

Le General, who has won two New York-bred races by a combined 10 lengths, came out of his last workout with a sore suspensory in his right foreleg, according to majority owner Jeffrey Kallenberg.

On Jan. 16, Le General worked five furlongs in 1:04.08 over a deep Aqueduct main track.

Kallenberg said Le General, trained by Michelle Nevin, was examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. Bramlage advised that Le General get 30 days off.

Le General might have inherited the favorite’s role following the news last week that Mind Control, winner of the Jerome on New Year’s Day and last summer’s Grade 1 Hopeful, would skip the Withers to await the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes on March 9.

Those defections leave the Withers with a likely seven-horse field.

Lucky Lee, a two-time winner at Parx Racing, could end up favored for trainer John Servis and Chuck Zacney’s Cash is King Stable. Lucky Lee, a son of Flatter, has won a pair of two-turn, one-mile races at Parx. He hasn’t run since Nov. 17.

Lucky Lee, training at Palm Meadows in Florida, was scheduled to ship to New York on Tuesday. He will have a new rider in Frankie Pennington, replacing Jeremy Rose.

On Sunday at Belmont, Moretti, a recent maiden winner going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct, worked a half-mile in 49.77 seconds.

Moretti, with Manny Franco up, was equipped with blinkers, equipment he may wear for the first time in a race on Saturday.

Byron Hughes, the Belmont-based assistant for trainer Todd Pletcher, said both he and Franco thought Sunday’s work was an improvement over Moretti’s previous workout, without blinkers, done in company with Thebigfundamental.

“I thought he was a little more focused and a little more in the bridle,” Hughes said. “I thought his gallop-out was better than it was last week. I don’t think he was overly aggressive. It was a controlled breeze. Manny thought similar; he breezed him last week as well without blinkers and thought this breeze was better. It seems like we’re both on the same page.”

Others expected for the Withers include Admire, Not That Brady, Our Braintrust, Sir Winston, and Tax.