McPeek down to one Breeders' Cup hopeful

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Golden Ticket, dead-heat winner with Alpha in the Grade 1 Travers in August, was not pre-entered in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

"He worked really poor on Saturday and I was not happy," trainer Ken McPeek said of the five-furlong work in 1:02 2/5. "We scoped him after the work and he was really clogged and had a lung infection.

"We postponed the decision until 11 (Monday) morning, but it was pretty obvious he was not 100 percent. We will nominate him for the (Grade 1) Clark (Handicap on November 23) but it is doubtful he'll run. Our goal is to get him ready for next year and have him compete with the top older horses."

McPeek also said Java's War, third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity, would not make the Breeders' Cup.

"He had a 103-degree fever Saturday morning and his white count was up," McPeek said. "He will be out for a period of time."

McPeek does have one Breeders' Cup pre-entry, Atigun, for the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon to be run November 2. Atigun is scheduled to work this week and ship to California on Sunday.

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