Bullion Cache, owned by the Starlight Partners syndicate headed by Schenectady native Don Lucarelli and Saratoga Springs resident Jack Wolf, will scratch from today's $150,000 Sanford with a fever.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said this morning that the 2-year-old son of Seeking the Gold showed a temperature of over 101 around 3 Wednesday afternoon, and 90 minutes later had reached 102.

"We had to pull the plug at that point," Pletcher said.

Yesterday, trainer Wesley Ward reported that likely favorite Notonthesamepage had a fever of 104 and would also miss the race. Trainer Eion Harty hinted he would not run Desert Party if the main track remained sloppy, which could leave the Sanford with as few as four starters.

"There's already one scratch in there, it's a short field and he's got a wet track pedigree," Pletcher said. "It wasn't meant to be."

A son of Seeking the Gold, Bullion Cache broke his maiden last month at Churchill Downs in his second start and was pointed for Saratoga. He could come back in the Grade II Saratoga Special at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 14.

"We have to do what's right by the horse," Lucarelli said. "To run in a high-caliber race, you have to have them in peak condition. This was enough to take the edge off, so it was too risky, as far as we were concerned.

"We're always going to do what's best for the horse in our eyes. I'd love to be in that race today, especially with how thin it's coming up. It'll be good for somebody to get a Grade II win in a light field, but, unfortunately, it won't be us."