On Tuesday, October 5, two-year-old trotting colt Broad Bahn and two-year-old pacing colt Big Bad John were scratched from the finals of the Breeders Crown, which are set for Saturday, October 9 at Pocono Downs
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Broad Bahn, who won his Breeders Crown elimination in 1:55.1 last weekend, was sidelined by a fractured hind coffin bone. He was replaced in the $600,000 final by Manofmanymissions, who will start from Post 9.
Big Bad John, who was second to Fashion Delight in his Breeders Crown elim, was scratched because of illness and replaced in the $600,000 final by Lookinforadventure. He also will start from Post 9.
“You work all year to get to this, but it’s part of the business, we all know that,” trainer Ron Potter said about Big Bad John, who won five of seven races and $101,875.
“He was sick, actually coughing after he got done racing. We got him back the next day and he was sick then, so we’ve been treating him and he just hadn’t totally gotten over it. We scoped him and it was showing a lot of inflammation [in his throat and lungs], so we didn’t want to take a chance.”
Big Bad John still has racing opportunities if his health improves.
“He’s got two weeks in Lexington; he’s eligible to Bluegrass and International Stallion stakes,” Potter said. “Hopefully, I’m going to have him good enough to be ready to go there.”
Broad Bahn will not be back as soon, but trainer Noel Daley was hopeful the colt will see action again.
“The prognosis is very good,” Daley said. “No surgery is required; he’s just going to have to let it heal. For having (a fracture), it’s a good spot to have it. It’s right on the outside and it’s a hind (foot), not a front. From what they’re telling me, if you’re going to have a fracture, a hind is better than a front and the outside is better.
“He’s got the talent and the heart to do it. He’ll be back.”
Broad Bahn, who won four of nine races and $223,427, was battling off-and-on soreness the last six weeks, Daley said.
“We’d X-rayed him before and never found anything,” Daley said. “We were X-raying another horse in the barn and figured we would X-ray (Broad Bahn) again. Sometimes those things don’t show up, but a line is showing there this morning. I guess he’s been dealing with it for six weeks. He’s a tough horse.”
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This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.