Sightseek Out of Ruffian, Frankel to Run Two; Empire Maker On Track for Gold Cup

The cough that has been going through trainer Bobby Frankel's barn has knocked Sightseek out of Saturday's Ruffian Handicap (gr. I), but Frankel will be represented by Wild Spirit and You.

Frankel also said that Empire Maker, who had suffered a recurrence of the cough that forced him to miss the Travers, is doing better, and is scheduled to jog on Friday. If Frankel can get two breezes in him before the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) he'll run the son of Unbridled.

"All the blood tests came back fine," Frankel said. "He has no temperature and he'll go back to the track tomorrow. He's only missed three days. This horse hasn't had a smooth transition all year except for the Belmont Stakes (gr. I)."

As for the Ruffian, Frankel said he'll run Wild Spirit and You, who have so far escaped the bug that has hit the stable. "I hope Wild Spirit doesn't get sick. We still have two days to go and she's right next to Empire Maker. You will run much better (than in the grade I Ballerina). I don't know what happened the last time. After the race, her pasterns were filled, but she's doing well now.

"Sightseek had been doing great, then suddenly started coughing, so you never know. Right now, I've got 10 horses who are coughing. One of them had been Denon."

Denon finished third as the favorite in last Saturday's Man o'War Stakes (gr. IT)."

Frankel said he's thinking of skipping the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) with Aldebaran and pointing him straight for the Breeders' Cup, but may change his mind. He also has Ghostzapper, who had been aiming for Saturday's Jerome Handicap (gr. II) before he too started coughing. "I had been thinking of running him in the Vosburgh and scratching out of the Jerome and that helped me decide," Frankel said. "I'm not sure who I'm going to run in the Vosburgh race right now."