E Z Warrior to skip Champagne, Breeders' Cup

Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G3) winner E Z Warrior will bypass the Champagne Stakes (G1) on October 14 at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs. The Exploit colt has not worked since he developed a sore shin in late July at Del Mar, which forced him to miss the Best Pal Stakes (G2) on August 13.
"He's galloping right now, he's going to be breezing soon, and we were trying to see if we could make the Champagne, but I didn't want to rush him," said Bob Baffert, who trains the Exploit colt for Ahmed Zayat's Zayat Stables. "Mr. Zayat said to just to take care of him and be patient."
Baffert mentioned the December 16 Hollywood Futurity (G1) as a possible objective for E Z Warrior, who won his debut by 1 3/4 lengths on June 18 at Hollywood Park and the Hollywood Juvenile Championship by 2 3/4 lengths on July 4.
Zayat will instead turn to Got the Last Laugh for the Champagne, said Sobhy Sonbol, the vice president of Zayat Stables.
Got the Last Laugh finished in a dead-heat for first with Officer Rocket (GB) in the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (G3) on September 10 for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Zayat and Baffert plan to run maiden winner Malt Magic in the Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2) on October 8 at Santa Anita Park.
The Cherokee Run colt scored a 9 1/2-length victory in a one-mile maiden event on September 4 at Del Mar in his third career start.
Trainer Chris Paasch confirmed on Tuesday that Best Pal winner Principle Secret would start in the Norfolk rather than the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) on October 7 at Keeneland Race Course.
In other Breeders' Cup-related news, Baffert said Grade 2 winner Too Much Bling would train up to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
The three-year-old Rubiano colt has not raced since his victory in the Carry Back Stakes (G2) on July 15 at Calder Race Course. He worked five furlongs in :57 out of the gate at Santa Anita Park on September 20.
"I was going to run him [at Santa Anita], but he runs so hard and puts so much into his races that I think he'll be better off going into the Breeders' Cup fresh," Baffert said. "He worked really nice the other day