Fort Larned out of Woodward

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned is an early scratch from Saturday's Woodward at Saratoga Race Course.

The 5-year-old, trained by Ian Wilkes, has a slight injury that will prevent him from running in the $750,000 1 1/8-mile stakes.

"He worked great Monday morning and jogged and walked fine Tuesday and Wednesday," said Wilkes. "This morning, he was not 100 percent in his training. He was a little off behind. It's not serious, possibly a pulled muscle, but when you are competing against horses on this level, you have to be 100 percent."

Fort Larned drew post 3 in the seven-horse Woodward and was the 4-1 fourth choice in the morning-line. Wilkes indicated that the horse will probably start in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 28 at Belmont Park, a race in which he finished third to Flat Out last year.

Fort Larned was fifth to Cross Traffic in the Whitney after winning the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in June. He has banked $4,053,917 with nine wins in 23 lifetime starts.