Lord Nelson out of Sprint; two defections allow Green Mask into Turf Sprint

Thursday brought major developments regarding two Breeders' Cup races, the TwinSpires Sprint (G1) and Turf Sprint (G1). Lord Nelson, one of the top contenders in the six-furlong Sprint on the main track, will miss the race after developing infection in a cut. “He got a little nick a couple of days ago and it became infected,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “We had to treat him with antibiotics so he won’t be able to run. But, he’s going to be all right.” According to a tweet from owner Spendthrift Farm, the son of Pulpit will now retire to stud at the Lexington, Kentucky, establishment. Baffert still has another prime player in the Sprint, three-year-old Drefong. Only seven now remain from the original field of nine, with illness forcing New York shipper Joking out. The Turf Sprint also received a shake-up when European invader Suedois was ruled out with a stress fracture. Trainer David O'Meara reported via Twitter that the injury is located in Suedois' left front foot, and plans call for him to return to racing next year. That would have paved the way for the first also-eligible, Lady Shipman, to draw in, but trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is reportedly opting to keep her among fellow distaffers in the Sen. Ken Maddy (G3). Thus the second also-eligible, Green Mask, will get his chance in the about 6 1/2-furlong dash down the hill. As a longtime fan of Green Mask, I'll have to incorporate the 15-1 shot in my Turf Sprint thoughts! But I'm still expecting a bold show from the 12-1 Undrafted, whom I tabbed in a piece on BreedersCup.com. Lord Nelson photo by Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com