By David Grening

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trappe Shot, a 3-year-old who has won his last two starts by a combined 23 lengths, will not run in next Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct because of an ankle injury, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said there was heat in the colt's right front ankle that would prevent the horse from working on Sunday.

"We're going to have to back off him for a few days, and hopefully it comes around quickly and it'll take care of itself," McLaughlin said Saturday. "When it does, then we can look for a race. It might be two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, but it's not going to be a week from today."

Trappe Shot stumbled at the start of his debut and finished fifth last summer at Saratoga. He didn't return to the races until February, when he won a Florida-bred maiden race by 10 1/4 lengths. He came back one month later to win a Florida-bred allowance race by 12 3/4 lengths, and McLaughlin began targeting the Withers thereafter.

The defection of Trappe Shot leaves D' Funnybone as the only confirmed starter for the Withers, a one-turn mile that has been used in the past as a prep for the Preakness. Andrew Byrnes, the New York Racing Association's stakes coordinator, said the New York-bred Castaneda is possible and that he hopes to get a starter from Nick Zito, who has six horses nominated and Todd Pletcher, who has two.

boy oh boy.....