I’ll Have Another Drops Out of the Belmont Stakes
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Rob Carr/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Horse racing fans were hoping to see the first triple crown winner since Affirmed back in 1978, and they’ll have to keep waiting. Heavily favored I’ll Have Another will not compete in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
In a surprising move, trainer Doug O’Neill decide to pull the horse from the event after it was discovered the horse had a swollen left knee tendon. Not only will I’ll Have Another not race on Saturday, but he will retire as well.
“Yesterday he galloped great, but in the afternoon we noticed some loss of definition in his left front leg,” O’Neill told reporters. “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.”
I’ll Have Another becomes the first horse since Bold Venture in 1936 that won the Derby and Preakness, but not partcipate in the Belmont.
He also became the 12th horse since Affirmed to win the first two legs but not the Belmont.
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