Sloane Avenue Scratched From Donn Handicap

Sloane Avenue, who traveled from England to compete in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park, was scratched the morning of the Feb. 7 race.



"He grabbed a quarter yesterday and was a little sore today," trainer Jeremy Noseda said. "We didn't have a lot of luck this trip. But we have to bite the bullet and move on."



Noseda said Sloane Avenue, who would have been making his dirt track debut in the Donn, will likely head back to his Newmarket training center next week.



"I'm meeting with the owner later today," Noseda said. "But I'm saying right now, 99%, he'll head home Tuesday. We have some options and time to get ready for races in England or Dubai."



A 4-year-old son of Candy Ride   bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider, Sloane Avenue has won three of five starts, including the EBF Stallions Hyde Stakes Nov. 19 at Kempton. The victory closed out a 3-year-old year that included an eighth-place finish on a soft turf course Oct. 4 at Belmont Park in the Hill Prince (gr. IIIT).