The Belmont Stakes is Saturday 9 June

CURRENT ODDS
Street Life (Jose Lezcano, 12-1)
Unstoppable U (Junior Alvarado, 30-1)
Union Rags (John Velazquez, 6-1)
Atigun (Julien Leparoux, 30-1)
Dullahan (Javier Castellano, 5-1)
Ravelo's Boy (Alex Solis, 50-1)
Five Sixteen (Rosie Napravnik, 50-1)
Guyana Star Dweej (Kent Desormeaux, 50-1)
Paynter (Mike Smith, 8-1)
Optimizer (Corey Nakatani, 20-1)
I'll Have Another (Mario Gutierrez, 4-5) SCRATCHED
My Adonis (Ramon Dominguez, 20-1)

It looks like a three horse race now, . . . #3, #5, and #9, . . . with #4 a possible spoiler.
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Originally posted by: hoops2 Questions had been raised about the horse's health as it had been having an unusual light training schedule.

The trainer has also had problems in the past with his horses failing drug tests.

The Belmont has a press conference @ 1pm EST


His training schedule wasn't really that unusual. Many trainers will opt for light gallops, instead of formal workouts, for a longer race like the Belmont. Keeping in mind how hard the horse had been run over the past weeks it made sense for O'Neill to do so. It's one of those things that the non-racing press have latched onto in search of a story.
I would be the last person to ever defend any trainers for proven violations, but while it is true O'Neill has been in trouble (mainly involving milkshaking horses) - so have others. Sadly, this is also not an unusual occurrence in the horse racing world. In fact, Kelly Breen, the trainer of My Adonis, is apparently the ONLY trainer in the Belmont with a squeaky clean record.

Trainers with Violations

Milkshaking

It's very unfortunate that the swollen tendon issue has come up. I was hoping to see I'll Have Another do well, maybe even become a TC winner, and I was really cheering for jockey Mario Gutierrez. I'm heartbroken for what could have been for both of them, but it's the right decision. At this point the injury is not serious and it is in the best interest of the horse and the rest of his career to take the prudent option and scratch him.

Edited for added links
I'll Have Another is retired.

He sustained an injury to a tendon in his leg. It would take a year or so to heal and for the horse to be ready to race again. His owners decided not to do so. He is retired. Ref: USA Today

DonDiego wishes I'll Have Another a long and happy retirement.
Just watched the Press conference and was saddened to hear that they will be retiring I'll Have Another because of the tendonitis. However, this is just the start of a new page in his career. I would think that he will be a busy boy for stud season next year and I have high hopes for his progeny. I'm sure the phones are already ringing.

My guess is he will stud out a few times and interest will be lost.

Bows are not usually life threatening and he has earned a very nice life of retirement.
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Originally posted by: treegirl
My guess is he will stud out a few times and interest will be lost.

Bows are not usually life threatening and he has earned a very nice life of retirement.


What a life. Have sex with the ladies, someone gives you a manual sexual release every so often, eat, crap, sleep, run and play, repeat until you die.
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Originally posted by: chefantwon
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Originally posted by: treegirl
My guess is he will stud out a few times and interest will be lost.

Bows are not usually life threatening and he has earned a very nice life of retirement.


What a life. Have sex with the ladies, someone gives you a manual sexual release every so often, eat, crap, sleep, run and play, repeat until you die.


Sounds like my life! Geez!

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