(from Saratoga Race Course)
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was forced to scratch Asiatic Boy from the Aug. 8 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) after the 6-year-old horse developed a fever the afternoon before the race.
“It’s very unfortunate and difficult. We liked our chances today,” McLaughlin said. “Yesterday afternoon, he was 102.2. He had a little bit of dry mucus, but we hoped he was going to be OK. We kept taking his temperature all day and all night. It just didn’t go down. I came in at 5 this morning and he had green mucus and (his temperature was the same). We have treated him, but we had to scratch.”
Once Asiatic Boy improves, McLaughlin is looking to train him up to the $500,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) for older horses going nine furlongs on Sept. 5.
“At least we’ll be able to regroup and look at the Woodward,” McLaughlin said. “It’s not an injury; he’s just sick. You can’t control them getting sick. It’s frustrating and disappointing, but we have to worry about the things that are in our control. We cannot worry about things that are not in our control.”
Since being transferred to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates this spring,the Argentina-bred has posted consecutive back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Stephen Foster (gr. I) and Suburban (gr. II) handicaps.
