Pat On the Back, the 4-1 morning-line third choice for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 John A. Nerud Stakes, was scratched due to a recurring foot problem, trainer Jeremiah Englehart said.

Pat On the Back was battling a quarter crack on his right front foot and had been sore on that foot for the last few days.

“Same thing happened to him last year, but it happened in between races not right before one,” Englehart said. “He’s a horse with contractive heels, you just got to keep working on him.”

Englehart said he has no immediate plan for Pat On the Back, who this year has won the Affirmed Success and Commentator Stakes, both for New York breds.

Also scratched from the Nerud was 15-1 shot Majestic Dunhill. Trainer George Weaver said he and the owners wanted to look "for a more reasonable spot" for Majestic Dunhill, who just ran three weeks ago. 

Englehart said that Sue’s Fortune, the 9-5 second choice who was pulled up in Friday’s Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes “came back fine.” He said he told jockey Junior Alvarado “if he didn’t feel like he had the horse” not to beat her up.