Skippylongstocking was on his way from New York to Florida and will miss the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31 due to a hind foot abscess that set back his training.
The news was first reported Tuesday morning by drf.com.
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., also said the 7-year-old has not yet been retired and could run next in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) on Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park as prep for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on Jan. 30, a race he won in 2026.
“We just ran out of time,” Joseph told drf.com. Skippylongstocking, who has earned more than $6 million over 40 career starts, has not had a workout since finishing third in the Charles Town Classic on Aug. 28.
"I needed to breeze Sunday or Monday, and if I wasn’t able to do that then I wasn’t going to make the race,'' Joseph said. "To win that kind of race, you have to be at your optimum best. You’re not going to win those races not going in there fully cranked. He needed three breezes. I’m not going to go there with two.”
Skippylongstocking would have been among the longshots in the Classic with Forever Young, Sovereignty, Golden Tempo and Knightsbridge among the top contenders. Joseph, though, still has Forged Steel as a possible Classic runner.
As the clock ticks closer to the 43rd Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, many top contenders recently completed important workouts at tracks around the country.
Over this past weekend, Japan star and likely Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) favorite Forever Young breezed 4 furlongs in 45.80 seconds at Belmont Park on Sunday (Oct. 11).
The Eclipse Award winner as champion male older dirt horse and Japan's Horse of the Year worked for the first time since his victory in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Belmont's opening day, Sept. 18.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi's assistant, Yuki Araki, was aboard the 5-year-old Real Steel horse for the workout.
“I decided to breeze a little bit stronger than we planned before. It’s good,” Araki said.
A year ago, Forever Young won the Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi in Japan a month before winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. This year, Forever Young has spent more time in the U.S., arriving in New York on Sept. 7 to prepare for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“We figured out how to use [him] here, and he is doing really well so far,’’ Araki said. “This morning the breeze out was pretty impressive. I checked the video. Good movement. When I asked him, he reacted really well and showed a turn of foot – a little bit, but I asked only a little.’’
One more breeze is scheduled at Belmont on Sunday (Oct. 18) before being shipped to Keeneland on Oct. 20. A final work is scheduled at Keeneland with jockey Ryusei Sakai aboard.
Phileas Fogg is still a Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) contender after weekend work at Belmont Park under the watchful eye of trainer Gustavo Rodriguez.
The 6-year-old gelding worked 5 furlongs in a bullet 1:00.60 under regular rider Kendrick Carmouche. Two more works are scheduled at Belmont before the horse moves to Keeneland for the Oct. 31 Classic, where he will be among the longshots.
Fourth behind winner Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont on Sept. 18, Rodriguez was impressed with Phileas Fogg’s recent work.
“I loved what I saw, and Kendrick was very happy with the way he worked,” Rodriguez said. “Everything is good, and if he stays healthy, we are going [to the Breeders’ Cup]. The way he worked today, I love what I saw.”
Phileas Fogg has banked more than $1.2 million with 11 victories, five seconds and a third in 25 career starts. He’s won the Suburban Stakes (G2) two years running at the Breeders’ Cup Classic distance of 1 ¼ miles.
“We’re going to work him two more times and then ship him the 26th if everything goes according to plan,” said Rodriguez, who will make his first start in a Breeders’ Cup event. “It’s a big race, and if he runs his race, he’s as good as them. That’s why we want to take a shot.”
Stablemates Super Corredora and Full Serrano worked Friday (Oct. 9) at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler.
Super Corredora, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, worked 4 furlongs in 48.00 seconds – her first work since returning from a 6 ½-month layoff to earn a front-running victory in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) on Sept. 27.
The 3-year-old is being pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).
Full Serrano worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.4 as he is being prepared for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for the third year in a row. He won the race in 2024 and ran fifth last year.
“They worked well. We’re happy with them,” Sadler said.
Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup will be announced on Oct. 21. The gate draw is Oct. 26.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
