Misfortune scratched from Haskell Invitational with fever

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Misfortune has followed Fantasy Lane Stable's Uptowncharlybrown since the spring, and the 3-year-old colt's bad luck goes on. Just before he was to board a van at Belmont Park Sunday morning, he was scratched from the $1-million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park because of a fever.

"He was running a 103-104 fever this morning. The timing was terrible,'' trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "It's unfortunate for the owners, another bit of bad luck for this horse. We'll see how he comes out of this, and then regroup.''

Normal temperature for a thoroughbred is 100 degrees.

Alan Seewald, the colt's original trainer and the best friend of principal owner Bob Hutt, died unexpectedly in April. Two months later, Uptowncharlybrown finished fifth in the Belmont Stakes but was disqualified to last because a 7-pound pad slipped off his saddle on the backstretch.