The Pizza Man Will Miss Japan Cup

A minor lung infection has sidetracked The Pizza Man from an anticipated trip to the Nov. 29 Japan Cup (Jpn-I).

Midwest Thoroughbreds' homebred son of English Channel   was scoped following his fifth-place finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). The vet found mucus and a "trickle of blood."

"We came to a decision yesterday but then gave it one more day because we wanted to be fair to the Japanese," said owner/breeder Richard Papiese. "In the end, we need so many days for the antibiotics to work and things to clear up.

"Medication so close to the race is a problem, misrepresenting the United States and everyone is terrible, and then putting the horse in a position where he isn't 100% is not a fair to him either. We don't feel he has regressed, we just need to get him well." 

Papiese attributes The Pizza Man's position throughout the Turf to his poor performance, not the mucus. The 6-year-old gelding was tracking five-wide in fourth or fifth through much of the 1 1/2-mile race and then flattened out in the stretch.

"We expected to be coming from mid-pack or toward the back going into the stretch. His best run is one run, and he was more forwardly placed. Maybe (jockey Florent Geroux) used a little bit more horse down the backstretch getting in that position. That's racing."

The Pizza Man will be shipped to Papiese's farm, Thunder Ranch north of Ocala, Fla., where this year's Arlington Million XXXIII winner will stay for 45 days and then ship to trainer Roger Brueggemann's winter base at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. 

Papiese said his team has not ruled out a possible trip to Dubai.

"As far as soundness, he's 100%. We're not going backward with him," Papiese said.