The Breeders' Cup loses star power: Splendora, Scottish Lassie, and Test Score among the most notable scratchings

The 2025 Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) champion (photo) was scratched on veterinary advice, leaving the Distaff (G1) with just seven runners. Zulu Kingdom, Gaudreau, and other notable names were also ruled out. Confirmed scratchings have now reached 11, and Great Barrier Reef could also be added to the list

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (From a special correspondent).— The countdown to the 2026 Breeders' Cup has been accompanied by a true deluge of bad news. Between Wednesday and Thursday, no fewer than 11 scratchings were officially confirmed across the various championship races to be run Friday and Saturday at Keeneland, claiming several major names. Splendora (Audible), Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), and Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) top a list that also includes Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) and Gaudreau (Nyquist), drastically altering the landscape of several events.

The biggest bombshell dropped on Thursday when Splendora was officially withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), a $2-million contest in which she figured as the third choice on the morning line behind Nitrogen(Medaglia D'Oro) and Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law). The daughter of Audible, trained by Bob Baffert, was scratched on veterinary advice after officials determined she was not in peak condition to compete.

“They didn’t feel she was 100 percent. We’re disappointed, but the horses have to be 100 percent. The vets have a very tough job and we have to cooperate,” Baffert explained, without detailing the specific issue detected.

The absence is particularly significant as Splendora had won the 2025 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar and had shown remarkable progression over longer distances during this campaign. With five wins from six starts this year, she entered off consecutive victories in the Shawnee Stakes (G2), Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2), and Locust Grove Stakes (G2), the latter by 5 1/4 lengths.

The Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) had already suffered another high-profile defection on Wednesday with the scratching of Scottish Lassie, the standout daughter of McKinzie conditioned by Jorge Abreu. Winner of the Frizette Stakes (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), she had finished runner-up to Fully Subscribed in both the Shuvee Stakes (G2) and Personal Ensign Stakes (G1), profiling as a major contender.

In a frustrating twist, Scottish Lassie misses the Breeders' Cup for the second consecutive year after being pre-entered.In 2025, a right front foot issue forced her withdrawal shortly before the race. No official reason was provided for her scratch this time. With both defections, the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) field has been reduced to just seven runners.

Another heavy blow came with the loss of Test Score, who was slated to compete in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) over 2,400 meters. The Graham Motion trainee was coming off a victory in the Del Mar Handicap (G2),but a viral illness put an end to his aspirations.

Motion explained that he heard the horse cough during morning training on Wednesday, with subsequent bloodwork confirming signs of infection. Hours later, the colt spiked a fever. The trainer is dealing with a broader outbreak, as several horses at his Fair Hill base in Maryland have fallen ill.

“It’s incredibly disappointing. I know he was one of the longer shots, but we had been targeting this race for a very long time,” lamented Motion, who was also forced to scratch Induction (Scalding) from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) due to illness.

Test Score’s departure allowed French entry Map of Stars (Sea the Stars), trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, to draw into the field, while Popcorn (Catholic Boy) took the spot vacated by Induction.

There was also major news out of Chad Brown's barn. Zulu Kingdom, winner of the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and victor in 8 of his 13 career starts, was ruled out of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) after both trainer and regulatory veterinarians were unhappy with his action. Out of caution, Brown opted not to risk him.

The same trainer lost Gaudreau for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). The son of Nyquist, second in the Champagne Stakes (G1), ran a fever and required treatment. That race also lost Earth Song (Justify), whose withdrawal was announced Thursday, leaving a thin field of just six runners.

In the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), scratches were issued for Go For Launch (Flightline) and Serenas Ghost (Girvin), paving the way for also-eligibles Silent Beauty (Night of Thunder) and Luminous Beauty(Flameaway) to draw into the main body of the race.

Meanwhile, Evershed (Churchill) was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), enabling the entry of Vina Arana (Make Believe), who was also on the also-eligible list for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) before opting for the turf route. Additionally, Praying (Vekoma) was withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Further changes could still be on the horizon. Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never), one of Aidan O'Brien's primary hopes for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), remains in doubt due to a foot bruise, as acknowledged by the Irish trainer, though his official scratch has not yet been confirmed.

While the Breeders' Cup retains its extraordinary global appeal, such a cluster of late scratches in the final hours before post time represents a severe blow to several key events—most notably the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), which loses two top-class mares and sees its field severely depleted.