Japanese invader Epicharis (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), last seen finishing a close second in the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 25, was scratched from Saturday's GI Belmont S. after failing to pass a mandatory pre-race vet inspection. He was treated with Bute after being diagnosed with lameness in his right front earlier this week.
“This was a minor issue, but the team has done a great job to care for the horse over the past few days, and while we are greatly disappointed for the fans of Epicharis, we have to face the fact that he is not able to compete today,” trainer Kiyoshi Hagiwara said via the JRA's Soshi Inoue.
“The horse was close to being able to compete, but we ran out of time. We'd like to thank the team of veterinarians and staff for their hard work. We look forward to getting Epicharis home and back to the racetrack very soon.”
Despite the scratching, the Belmont remained open to wagering to Japanese fans, though NYRA stood to lose a significant amount of money as a result of Epicharis's withdrawal. According to track officials, Japanese handle on the Belmont totaled $4,698,525.
Epicharis will ship back to Japan Thursday.
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