05/28/2012 4:25PM

Belmont Stakes 2012: Dullahan arrives in New York

By David Grening
Email

Dullahan, the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, arrived at Belmont at 6:30 a.m. following a lengthy van ride from Churchill Downs.

Trainer Dale Romans said that Dullahan would gallop the rest of the week and probably breeze over the main track on Saturday.

[BELMONT STAKES: Video updates, expected field, early odds]

Romans said that it is important for I’ll Have Another to have legitimate competition in his quest for the Triple Crown.

“We owe it to the past Triple Crown winners,” Romans said. “If he earns it, more power to him.”

Rick Jannings More than 1 year ago
Iha is in position to make history. I wish him well. Whether he wins or loses the Belmont matters only to his team. Simply put his stud fees go up. None of us on here are relevant to that. As far as greatness, whether he wins or loses doesn't determine his Greatness. There are many horse that didn't win the tc who are great. Cigar, skip away, Zentatta, spectacular bid, ruffian,alydar, etc etc. and there are horses that won the tc who are beatable as well. None of them retired undefeated. As far as truly dominating horses Go, really there is only one. And we all know that is secretariat. If he ran his best Race, no horse could beat him. That can't. Be said about all the rest since big red owns two of three track records in the TC series. And he should own the pimlico Record if not for a watch malfunction. So with that said, price tags mean nothing, jockeys mean nothing ( look at many of the past tc winners they were said to have mediocre jockeys) its all going to boil down to June 9. One day one horse against 10 others. If I'll have another has more heart and gas in the tank left, come long stretch time he will win. If he does, great!!! He will earn a place in history. If he loses, great!! Either way I don't believe he is a super horse just yet. Not with the times he's run in those races. Comparatively speaking he is far inferior to even many of the horses that lost the Tc
Rick Jannings More than 1 year ago
There have been tons of horses that turned out great that didn't win the triple crown. Curlin,zentatta, skip away, cigar, lava man, ruffian, northern dancer, and etc etc etc. the only thing being a triple crown winner means, is that the owner gets to command higher stud fees. Fine. None of us are horse owners so that is irrelevant. Personally just because affirmed or slew or whoever won the TC any horse is beatable. There was only one truly dominating horse that if he ran his best race no one could beat him and we all know that is secretariat. So other than that, if Iha wins, great!! If not, great!! The sport could use a tc winner, but his overall greatness is certainly not going to be determined just because he'd wins the Tc. Comparatively speaking there are far better horse thatlst the Tc that coz beat him. To say he is better than spectacular bid or even alydar would be ludicrous. However, he is in position to make history. I wish him well!! And I'll have another in new York, I'll have another at Belmont park, and I'll have another in the Belmont stakes.
John More than 1 year ago
IHA wins going away. He did it in Derby. Why not in Belmont. Love Dullahan, he looks 2nd best here.
Miguel Whatley More than 1 year ago
IHA ,Yes cheap but a Winner and let's not forget the most important thing everyone is forgetting his cheap Millioniar workmate LAVAMAN!!!!!!!
Bradley S. Ezra More than 1 year ago
Nice comments by you professional amatuers, Horses shipping to Belmont from pimlico have been dismal,Horses shipping from California have been well below pae for their odds.There have been far better horses in IHA position and failed,get a grip people there will never ever be another Triple Crown winner.
R. Martin More than 1 year ago
ROMANS: I consider Sir Lukas to be the Grand Old Master of horseracing. Lukas has probably forgotten more about horses than the average horseplayer will learn in a lifetime. If Sir Lukas feels Optimizer MAY beat IHA then for sure your horse Dullahan could win the Belmont.
Jd Staton More than 1 year ago
IHA wins by 20 will be the headline in every news paper the morning after the belmont. one way or another thats what will happen. oneals already in hot water so im sure he will have this horse tuned up like never before. IHA will finish so far in front of union rags and dullahan they wont be able to pump day light to those 2 nags
R. Martin More than 1 year ago
JD, At least save a little money so that IF maybe IHA loses just because he stumbles out of the gate and Super Mario falls off you will still be able to buy some Facebook stock.
rob More than 1 year ago
i love how every1 blows their load over a horse bc he won the derby n preakness..there's a reason it's been 34 yrs man..like every1 is saying, there's been a lot of other horses that have lost the belmont..i would be pleasantly surprised if iha wins this belmont, but to guarantee he wins shows a lack of racing knowledge
BARRY ROSA More than 1 year ago
TAKE A LOOK AT ALPHA .............ONLY BAD RACES WERE OVER CHURCHILL AND ANOTHER IS CHAD BROWNS HORSE............REALLY MADE UP A LOT OF GROUND AT Belmont in the Peter pan.......-
Jd Staton More than 1 year ago
cross them both off and save ur money IHA will smoke this field including RAGS a fitting name non the less.lol
ALEJANDRO ANZA More than 1 year ago
best quote by far!!!!
Thomas More than 1 year ago
look,,he has a good shot because of the fact that the only one who really ran clost to him,,bodemister,,, is not gonna be there,,,what i don't like is the fact he is not gonna ha have a work ....bad ideal...i LOVE UNION RAG'S whit jhonny v up..
R. Martin More than 1 year ago
IHA is no great shakes. Ran last 1/4 in Derby in OVER 26 seconds and then was life and death and super open nostrils to barely edge Bode in the Preakness. Additionally no world beater is allowed to go for $35,000 in a 2 year olds in training sale (as a yearling, maybe). Then, Flower Alley is basically a bust as a sire and his first two starts sans nasal strip the LOST ground in the stretch and had good but unspectacular Beyers. To believe IHA is meant for the ages you would have to take a phenomenal PollyAnna LEAP OF FAITH and believe that the entire racing community felt IHA, in training, was wrong in believing he WAS NOT WORT a $36,000 bid. Put me 100% a non-believer as to IHA. I will not get even a $2 win bet out of me. I think he runs uplaced June 9.
Elizabeth More than 1 year ago
NO world beaters are allowed to go that cheap? Ever hear of a cheap little horse that sold for $17,000 by the name of Seattle Slew?
Elizabeth More than 1 year ago
Or a weanling that sold for$1,100 by the name of John Henry?
R. Martin More than 1 year ago
A weanling is not a 2 year old in training. Nevertheless, if you buy into IHA being great, that is OK. Differences of opinion will dictate the odds June 9. I hope IHA is made the 3/5 favorite and I get 6 to 1 on Union Rags, 10/1 on Dullahan, and 30/1 on Alpha. I'll take all three, all three to WIN only and I'll call it "My Martin WIN Entry". If IHA is an OK horse, but not a likely Triple Crown Winner, then I will collect on a bet that was a monster OVERLAY. We will know soon enough.
KeenelandCapper More than 1 year ago
rags will be 4-1 9-2 you will not be getting 6-1
KeenelandCapper More than 1 year ago
dullahan will not be 10-1 prob 9-2 5-1...
R. Martin More than 1 year ago
Elizabeth, Please re-read my post and line 4 from top to bottom where in parenthesis I say (as a yearling, maybe). Let me give you an analogy. You go to a pet store and see a pretty golden retriever 6 weeks old male puppy. Owner has him priced at $400 and you take a gamble and buy him. NOW you train him to be a seeing eye dog and he turns out to be great. Going prices for GREAT ones range from $5,000 to $6,500. Would you then sell him for $950? Not likely! He is now a proven GREAT seeing eye dog. However, $400 was fair when you bought him as an unproven gamble at 6 weeks. Now, equate the 6 weeks to a YEARLING racehorse-to-be and Equate a two year old in training, showing what he is, as comparable to your Golden Retriever after you trained him to become a GREAT seeing eye dog. Yearling thorougbreds are true speculations; whereas 2 year olds in training are much easier to judge by numerous (NUMEROUS) Super Savvy Buyers. To believe a genuine Triple Crown contender, at a 2 year olds in training sale, would only fetch $35,000 is, in my view, not likely. That is the difference. Do you think the Maktouns, Barry Irwin, Barry Weisbrod, and countless other super sharp 2 year olds in training prospective purchasers would stop bidding at $35,000 for the genuine article? It would be like saying you went to Christie's, they put at Auction a Renoir and you luckily bought it for $35,000. Give me a break!
neigh sayer More than 1 year ago
I don't think you have any idea of what you're talking about. Your analogy is not even a proper comparison. I don't have the time to explain all the criteria that drives up a price or why a price may be low. I will tell you this as a direct comparison regarding a 2 year old sale price correlating with quality and ability. The Green Monkey sold for 16 million, yes million, in a 2 year old Fasig Tipton select sale. You never heard of him? That's because he never won a race. And there are tons more.
mrm More than 1 year ago
Spending the most money guarantees nothing. If it did then Darley would win a Triple Crown race every year. It's one thing to breeze an 1/8 in 10 and its another to look another horse in the eye and win a race. Unless it's a ready made horse, there are just as many bad horse as good horses no matter what the price paid.
himmelle More than 1 year ago
Sale price means nothing. There are plenty of six figure bombs listed in the DRF every day. Did you ever hear of someone buying a priceless antique at a garage sale? It happens. Like the horse is sitting in his stall thinking...HHmmmm, I only sold for $35,000, so I can't win the next race.....
Aaron McCullough More than 1 year ago
Um, he did just win the Derby and the Preakness. The price tag, now, will keep him from winning the Belmont? That's about the funniest angle I've ever heard.
ALEJANDRO ANZA More than 1 year ago
please ....stop !!!!!! you are in wrong sport.period.
Marcelo Rivadeneira More than 1 year ago
As I recall a supermare by the name of Zenyatta only went for $60k. Ridiculous post.
Bellwether4U More than 1 year ago
on the 35,000 dollar Horse not allowed...PURE BS...
Anonymous More than 1 year ago
Of course the 35K he went for does not mean he cannot compete. You miss the point. What the 35K indicates is that at an open auction, presumably attended by some of the sharpest horseflesh buyers in the world, not one of those sharpies felt IHA was worth $36,000. Given the suspensions of the trainer and his so-so first 2 races the races under the influence of nasal strips are suspect as heck. Courageously and correctly, the NYRA Stewards have demanded that IHA race clean for the Belmont. Now let us see if the 35K Nasal Worderhorse can win again. All I'm saying is that I am NOT an IHA fan, nor a believer. I rationally believe he will finish unplaced June 9th. His 35K price tag is only a hint as to why he is likely to fail June 9th.
steven schoenfeld More than 1 year ago
Clearly someone who has never owned/bought/claimed/trained/ been near anything resembling anyone who has been involved in racing. What a ridiculous post.