ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL. -- Sky Mesa's size surprised French racing writer Emmanuel Roussel when he got his first look at the undefeated 2-year-old colt this week. "How old is he?" Roussel said. "He looks like a 4-year-old."

There's nothing out of order with Sky Mesa's foal papers. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of his right front ankle, and trainer John Ward Jr. had to scratch his young star Friday morning. Sky Mesa was the 7-2 morning line favorite in Saturday's $1-million, 1 1/8-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Ward hoped the huge son of Pulpit would show the world how good he is, but now he won't get the chance.

"It looks like it could be a strain or a wrench," Ward said. "The best part of it is that there is no evidence of a condylar fracture, and the initial pictures show no crack. It's going to take Dr. [Larry] Bramlage a few days to sort it out. It's unfortunate timing, but the future might still look good."

Donna Ward, the trainer's wife and assistant, said the injury appeared overnight. "It wasn't there when he came back from the track [Thursday]," she said. "Who knows where it happened? The groom said he left at 10:30 Thursday night and the colt was moving around fine.

"When the groom called this morning, he said it looked like he was tender in the stall. The fortunate thing is better today than tomorrow [during the race]."

Bramlage, one of the sport's most distinguished veterinarians, said the colt would be taken to the Rood and Riddle clinic in Lexington, Ky., next week for a digital bone scan.