Skippylongstocking, who would have been the betting favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap, won’t run in the race Saturday after the 7-year-old horse didn’t make his scheduled flight from Florida to California on Tuesday morning.
The Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch reported trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Skippylongstocking “acted up and started kicking” as the plane was in its way to taking off, and the flight was aborted. Joseph told Welsch that Skippylongstocking “appears to be fine” but would be examined and not go to Santa Anita.
Skippylongstocking won the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May and rallied for a 21-1 surprise in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park near Miami in January.
Without Skippylongstocking, who drew post 5, a more competitive-looking field now is set to line up like this from the rail out for the $300,000, Grade I Santa Anita Handicap at 1¼ miles: Midnight Mammoth, assigned 119 pounds, Armando Ayuso riding; Getaway Car, 120, Juan Hernandez; Just a Touch, 121, Florent Geroux; Vodka Vodka, 116, Kent Desormeaux; British Isles, 119, Diego Herrera, Westwood, 121, Kazushi Kimura.