I’ll Have Another Scratched from Belmont Stakes

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roadfish.com

It’s an extreme disappointment for racing fans all over the country, I can only imagine how disappointing it must be for those who are close to the horse.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 09, 2012

RoadFish.com men’s lifestyle and finance magazine today commended trainer Doug O’Neill’s choice to have I’ll Have Another scratched from the Belmont Stakes race on account of an injured tendon in the horse’s front leg. O’Neill made the announcement on Friday morning, and went on to add that I’ll Have Another may even be retired before severe tendinitis sets in.

Sports writer Richard Rosenblatt of the Associated Press reported that trainer Doug O’Neill announced on Friday that I’ll Have Another would not be racing in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday due to a swollen tendon. O’Neill stated that the swelling was just noticed within the past 24 hours, stating, “Yesterday he galloped great, but in the afternoon we noticed some loss of definition in his left front leg. We did just an easy gallop today. I thought he looked great on the track, and then cooling out, you could tell the swelling was back.” Reportedly Dr. Jim Hunt was called in to examine the horse, and determined that the injury was the start of tendinitis I’ll Have Another’s left front tendon and that the injury would take at least 3 to 6 months to heal. O’Neill is quoted as saying, “It was unanimous between the Reddams, my brother and I, and everyone at the barn to retire him.”

RoadFish.com commended the decision to pull I’ll Have Another from the race. RoadFish.com’s Senior staff writer is quoted as saying, “I can’t imagine how disappointing it must be for the owners, trainers, and jockeys of this horse to see him fall short of what could have been a monumental win. That being said, it is truly commendable for them to consider the horse’s well being over a trophy. From what I understand of horse injuries they can go from bad to severe within the course of one race, and there’s certainly been instances where horses have needed to be put down after races. Thanks to the caring decisions of his owners and trainer, hopefully I’ll Have Another will live a long and healthy life.”

Had I’ll Have Another went on to race in and win the Belmont Stakes tomorrow, it would mark the first time in 34 years that a horse has won the Triple Crown (meaning that the same horse wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.) The above-mentioned AP article states that I’ll Have Another was the 4-5 favorite to win the Belmont Stakes and would have been only the 12th horse in history to win a Triple Crown. Trainer Dough O’Neill is quoted as saying, “It’s a bummer. It’s not tragic, but it’s a huge disappointment.”

O’Neill’s brother Dennis is quoted in the article as saying, “He looks great. He's sound. He went great this morning. He looks super (but) you just can't take a chance. He's too valuable of a horse and we love him to death like all of them," he said. "You wouldn't run a horse if you think something might happen.” According to the AP article, Belmont’s on-call veterinarian Larry Bramlage referred to I’ll Have Another’s swollen tendon as a “slow healing injury,” likening it to an Achilles tendon injury in a human. Bramlage estimated that it would take about a year for the horse to fully recover. Bramlage is quoted as saying, “It’s an early injury. If you went on and had he raced, the danger would have been a bowed tendon, meaning a significant number of fibers injured.”

RoadFish.com has a lot of respect for the extremely difficult decision made to retire I’ll Have Another from tomorrow’s big race. RoadFish.com’s Senior staff writer is quoted as saying, “It’s an extreme disappointment for racing fans all over the country, I can only imagine how disappointing it must be for those who are close to the horse. The silver lining is that owners and trainers can rest easy knowing that a severe injury is not on their hands, and hopefully the horse will make a full recovery and be able to race again next year.”

The Triple Crown is comprised of the following three races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Three-year-old Thoroughbred horses compete for wins during these races, and winning all three is considered to be the greatest accomplishment that a Thoroughbred horse can achieve. The term “Triple Crown” is originally from England, and was developed in the mid-19th century. Today, different nations where Thoroughbred horse racing takes place hold their own Triple Crown series. In the United States, the last Triple Crown to be won was in 1978 by the horse Affirmed and his jockey Steve Cauthen. Only 11 horses in history have ever won the U.S. Triple Crown title.

About RoadFish.com

RoadFish.com is an online men's lifestyle and finance magazine targeted toward men in their 30's and 40's that have already attained a moderate level of success in life, and are striving toward more. It goes over current events of interest to this group, such things as exciting adventures, consumer interests, hot chicks, and tax filing advice as well as ways to make more and save more money. It is a publication owned by Purpose Inc.

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