Mike Watchmaker

[bc_video_id:254155:]Good morning from Belmont Park on a Belmont Stakes Day that doesn’t have anywhere near the buzz it would have had if I’ll Have Another was going in the big race. But I’ll Have Another will still be on the track here today, leading the post parade for the Belmont. I understand that all concerned parties are on board with this, and on one level I recognize that it is nice that fans will have the opportunity to show I’ll Have Another some love.

Stunned and bummed. That is probably the best way to describe the mood here at Belmont Park Friday after the news that a tendon issue, which first surfaced Thursday afternoon and really came to a head after he galloped Friday morning, will prevent I’ll Have Another from attempting his sweep of the Triple Crown in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The issue has, in fact, forced his retirement.

Handicappers who have an appreciation for good work by trainers have to love the way Doug O'Neill has handled I'll Have Another. I’ll Have Another didn’t lose a thing when he took a planned, but very unconventional two-month break smack in the middle of the Triple Crown prep season. And when he returned with what could have been viewed as a draining victory in the Santa Anita Derby, I’ll Have Another didn’t regress in his next start. Instead, he moved forward in the Kentucky Derby, and moved forward form-wise yet again in the Preakness.

What shouldn’t be completely lost in I’ll Have Another’s attempt at racing history Saturday is the strong Belmont Stakes undercard of four graded stakes. I have some preliminary opinions on them –preliminary, because no handicapper should be locked into initial opinions made 96 hours in advance – so let’s take a look.

The security measures that Belmont Stakes entrants will be subject to starting next Wednesday, announced today (Wednesday), seem unnecessarily heavy handed. In fact, they seem about as unnecessarily heavy handed as last week’s stewards decision to not allow the use of equine nasal strips was unnecessarily arbitrary.