Spanish Queen out of training until next year

DEL MAR, Calif. – Spanish Queen, the winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita in May and a notable absentee from Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, is out of training until 2016.

On Thursday, trainer Richard Baltas said a recent nuclear scan revealed an injury that will keep Spanish Queen out of training “for three to six months.” He declined to discuss the injury in detail.

“She’s got something going on,” he said. “She’ll be back. She will race again.”

Spanish Queen has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $423,600 for the partnership of Jack Nakkashian, Harry Bederian, and Harout Kamberian. A California-bred by Unusual Heat, Spanish Queen won the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita in early May and was 10th in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in New York on July 4, her most recent start.

Baltas is planning to start Imperative for the first time for his stable Aug. 22 in the $1 million Pacific Classic. Previously trained by George Papaprodromou for owner Kenji Morinaga, Imperative has not raced since finishing second to Moreno in the Charles Town Classic in West Virginia in April.

Imperative is due to have his final workout for the Pacific Classic on Saturday. The 5-year-old gelding was third in the 2014 Pacific Classic.

The Pacific Classic is led by Beholder, the two-time champion filly who will have her first start against males, and Catch a Flight, who won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 25. Bayern, who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita last November and was third in the San Diego, is another probable starter.

Other candidates are Bailoutbobby, Class Leader, Coach Inge, Hard Aces, Hoppertunity, Midnight Storm, Red Vine, and Warren’s Veneda.