Tropic Storm and Red Giant have been pulled out of their respective Breeders Cup races with just days to go before the commencement of America’s most prestigious racing series.

Red Giant was withdrawn from the Breeders Cup Turf after contracting an unidentified infection which raised his temperature and put him off his feed.

“We’re six days out from the race and a 103 temperature won’t give you time to prepare and breeze for a race as tough as this,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s responded and his temperature has come back down. I can’t remember him being sick in his life.”

“The timing of it, six days before the race, gave him no time to recover and no time to work,” Pletcher added. Pletcher also suggested that one of the favourites to win the 42 million Breeders Cup Turf has most likely run his last race.

Red Giant will be best remembered for winning the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita on September 27 when he set the 1 and 1/4 mile turf world-record time of 1:57.16.

Tropic Storm, meanwhile, was also withdrawn from his entries to the Breeders Cup Turf and the Breeders Cup Sprint after suffering an injury to soft tissue during training on Sunday.