'I cannot understand this' - owner dismayed as leading European hopes scratched from Breeders' Cup

Connections of Givemethebeatboys have expressed their shock and dismay at being told their two-year-old had been withdrawn after examination by a panel of local vets on Friday morning. The sole representative of Jessica Harrington at this Breeders' Cup, he was due to contest the Juvenile Turf Sprint (9.00) on Friday and had been a general 10-1 shot.

He was one of 16 horses removed from Friday's card, including leading Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (11.40) candidate River Tiber for Aidan O'Brien, who was given a double blow when Bolshoi Ballet was scratched from tomorrow's Breeders' Cup Turf (9.50).

"I'm in horses all my life, I own a quarter of him," said Con Marnane, one of several members of Givemethebeatboys' ownership team consoling each other in the barn area after the withdrawal. "I've had him since he was a foal. I just cannot understand this."

Marnane and others witnessed the examination which led to the withdrawal, in which Kate Harrington led the horse at a trot over a series of rubber mats and then onto a sandy area.

"The horse was moving like a ballet dancer," Marnane said. "He should have been in Swan Lake."

The 2023 Breeders' Cup kicked off at Santa Anita on Friday eveningCredit: Edward Whitaker

Irene Sands, also part of the ownership team, said: "He's in incredible condition and we couldn't have asked for better. As owners, you can only ever ask that they come with their best foot forwards and the Harringtons have done that.

"He has been minded like a baby all week. He was vetted all week and there was no issue. He worked yesterday, we were all here to see and he was in great form. So this is a shock and very disappointing, there's no point pretending otherwise.

"Jessica Harrington said it very well, she said that, at the end of the day, vets aren't any different to any other profession, they all have different opinions. That's not taking anything from anybody but certainly our own contingent would have been very happy for him to race today."

Con Sands added: "We've come a long way and we have a beautiful horse. We worked him yesterday and he seemed pretty good, didn't seem to have any difficulties and then at eight o'clock this morning we got the bad news that he was 'slightly lame'. I suppose we just have to cry in our soup."

River Tiber: had been favourite for the Juvenile TurfCredit: Tom Dulat

Coventry Stakes winner River Tiber was scratched from the Juvenile Turf (11.40), less than eight hours before he was due to run.

Ryan Moore had been due to ride the son of Wootton Bassett, but he now rides stablemate Unquestionable, who was originally due to be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Exaulted, an outsider for tomorrow's Breeders' Cup Mile, is another high-profile runner to have been scratched.

Read these next:

Favourite River Tiber out of the Juvenile Turf - but Aidan O'Brien could still hold the aces 

'The 25-1 on offer is an absolute steal' - your Breeders' Cup questions answered 

2023 Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.