Ulysses withdrawn from Breeders' Cup Turf

DEL MAR, Calif. – Ulysses, the 7-2 favorite for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, was withdrawn on Friday evening because of soundness issues.

In a one-sentence statement, the Breeders’ Cup announced his withdrawal without providing specifics. The statement said Ulysses was scratched “per recommendation from the track veterinarians.”

Ulysses is scheduled to go to stud at Cheveley Park in England in 2018 and is not expected to race again.

Owned by the Niarchos Family’s Flaxman Holdings, Ulysses won 5 of 13 starts and earned $2,544,053. Trained by Michael Stoute, Ulysses won 3 of 6 starts and earned $2,242,047 this year.

By Galileo, Ulysses won two Group 1 races – the $644,400 Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in July and the $1.28 million Juddmonte International at York in August. In his final start, Ulysses was third in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly Racecourse in France on Oct. 1. The $5.9 million Arc is Europe’s richest race.

The absence of Ulysses will make Beach Patrol and Highland Reel the first two choices in the betting. Beach Patrol won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in his last start on Sept. 30. Highland Reel was third in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Oct. 21.