Eclipse Award Winner Yibir Will Miss Sword Dancer

Godolphin's Yibir , the 2021 Eclipse Award winner for Champion Turf Male, will not be running in the 1 1/2-mile, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day, Aug. 27.

"He met with a setback (Aug. 13), so, unfortunately, he is not going to make it out," Chris Connett, the traveling assistant for trainer Charlie Appleby, said Aug. 14 at Saratoga. "I don't know the details, but I got an email and, as far as I know, it's just a minor setback. Unfortunately, it came up at the wrong time."

Connett said the 4-year-old Yibir is at Newmarket Racecourse in England. The son of Dubawi  has won seven of 16 career starts, has three seconds and three thirds, and has career earnings of $4,274,138.

One of his four starts this year came in the Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park May 14, when he finished third. In his only other starts in the United States, Yibir won the 2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes and the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar last November.

"It would have been great to get him on a plane on (Aug. 18) and come over and have a real live chance in the Sword Dancer," Connett said. "These things happen, and he will be back to fight another day."

Connett is still overseeing two Godolphin horses that have already won at Saratoga. With The Moonlight , winner of the Aug. 7 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T), is being targeted to run in the 1 1/16-mile, $200,000 Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies Aug. 20 at Saratoga.

Nations Pride , who won the Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) Aug. 6, is training in Saratoga and awaiting the 1 1/2-mile, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby (G1T) Sept. 17 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.