A dozen horses will line up for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, but of that group, there are less than a handful with a legitimate chance of actually winning the race. Some of the field, including I’ll Have Another, have been training here regularly for the past several weeks. Others, like top contender Union Rags and longshot My Adonis, did not arrive on the grounds until Wednesday.
What are the odds that I’ll Have Another completes his sweep of the Triple Crown series? If you're betting in Las Vegas, you should be able to get higher odds than I'll Have Another's 4-5 price on the track's morning line.
I’ll Have Another was born in Kentucky, received early training in Florida, began his career in California, and has flown to Kentucky, Maryland, and twice to New York in the past nine months. But no journey will seem farther than the one on which he embarks Saturday, when I’ll Have Another attempts to become a Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes.
Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg says he can’t remember the last time he was at Belmont Park. Since it was Oct. 6, 1991 – when Fit to Scout finished fifth in the Grade 1 Beldame – and since Van Berg turned 78 years old Thursday, he can be forgiven if the memory of that day has faded.
Bettors will have ample opportunity to cash a ticket on Saturday’s 13-race card.
I'll Have Another's jockey, Mario Gutierrez, has never ridden at Belmont Park, where on Saturday he will try to win the Belmont Stakes and sweep the Triple Crown. But throughout his career he has shown a knack for adapting to new surroundings, including Churchill for the Kentucky Derby and Pimlico for the Preakness.
Beginning in 1997, Tom Durkin has called the last seven attempts to complete the Triple Crown, including the last four tries for network television.
Michael Matz does not want to win the 144th Belmont Stakes with Union Rags just to spoil everyone’s day, even though most of the 100,000 or so showing up at Belmont on Saturday will be hoping to see I’ll Have Another become history’s 12th winner of the Triple Crown.
The requirement that all horses in the Belmont Stakes reside in a detention barn for 72 hours before the race has angered a number of trainers in the race who say that those staffing the barn lack necessary horse sense and that the atmosphere is not conducive to horses performing at their optimum.
Sporting a 4-inch gash on his left temple, but in good humor over what was a scary situation, trainer D. Wayne Lukas was back at work Wednesday morning at Belmont Park, a little more than 12 hours after his stakes-winning sprinter Hamazing Destiny reared up and struck the trainer in the head.
