2024 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and Eclipse champion 3-year-old male Sierra Leone will miss an intended start in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 22. The news was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.
Trainer Chad Brown confirmed with BloodHorse Feb. 5 that Sierra Leone developed an abscess that popped out on the coronet band of one of his feet. Brown described it as an isolated occurrence and that he doesn't expect it to cause any issues going forward.
"He seems to be over it now," Brown told BloodHorse. "He's never had any issues with his feet, he's a good-footed horse. It was just something that he developed and got over."
The timing was unfortunate, forcing Sierra Leone to miss a key workout on the weekend of Feb. 1-2—three weeks before the world's richest horse race.
"He missed an important work, I was on a tight schedule given the fact we gave the horse a month off after the Breeders' Cup," Brown said. "He's not going to be able to make (the Saudi Cup)."
The Saudi Cup domino then fell and hit the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Meydan Racecourse April 5. Brown plans to bypass that race as to not start Sierra Leone's season at the 1 1/4-mile distance. Instead, Brown said the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park April 19 could be a logical target.
"It's a big purse, where it is on the schedule, it's at a mile and an eighth—which I like for his first start back," Brown said of the race. "That's something that's on my radar."
Brown said he expects the 4-year-old Gun Runner colt back on the work tab soon, but given that his potential target race is now 2 1/2 months away, he doesn't feel a need to rush. Sierra Leone recorded his first post-Breeders' Cup work Jan. 6 and had been working weekly at Payson Park Training Center in Indiantown, Fla., until the abscess.
"If I'm not going to run him until (the Oaklawn Handicap), I don't feel like I'm under any pressure to work him at any specific time," Brown said. "He already was able to get some works in prior to this happening that moved him along fitness-wise."
Sierra Leone races for the partnership of Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook Smith. He has a record of 4-3-2 from nine starts for earnings of $6,008,000.
