ELMONT, N.Y. – Doug O’Neill wasn’t so much interested in talking to the connections of the recent horses who attempted – and failed – to win the Triple Crown. Instead, O’Neill wanted to talk someone who actually accomplished the feat.
So on Tuesday morning, about two hours after watching I’ll Have Another gallop a strong mile at Belmont Park, O’Neill had a little sit-down with Billy Turner, the trainer of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
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.
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Romans said that it is important for I’ll Have Another to have legitimate competition in his quest for the Triple Crown.
Jonny Garcia, the regular exercise rider of I’ll Have Another, was expected to reunite with his Triple Crown candidate on Tuesday morning after resolving some paperwork issues that prevented him from being permitted to ride in New York.
As is the case with most things in racing, there are different requirements to get licensed in different jurisdictions. Garcia did not have the sufficient paperwork to be granted a New York license.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Steve Cauthen has never met Mario Gutierrez. Nor does he want to – at least not for the next two weeks.
But Cauthen can empathize with Gutierrez. It was 34 years ago that the then-18-year-old Cauthen was counting down the days to the Belmont Stakes, where he would make history by guiding Affirmed to a head victory over Alydar to complete horse racing’s Triple Crown.
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Age: 25, born Sept. 19, 1986, in Veracruz, Mexico
Family status: Single
• Started out with Quarter Horses raised and trained by his father
• Leading apprentice at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City in 2005
• Began riding at Hastings in 2006 on the advice of Canadian trainer Terry Jordan and was the meet’s leading apprentice
• Leading rider at Hastings in 2007 and 2008, second in standings in 2009 and 2011
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Doug O’Neill arrived in New York early Sunday morning following the red-eye flight from Southern California. Any jet-lag he may have felt from the cross-country trip dissipated after laying eyes on his Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another.
“I thought he looked great; just going in the stall and seeing him, his legs were ice cold and he had cleaned up his feed tub,” said O’Neill, who arrived at Belmont around 6:15 a.m., 45 minutes after his plane landed. “He continues to amaze me the way he’s handled all this and continues to thrive.”
ELMONT, N.Y. - While Bob Baffert sent Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up Bodemeister home to California, the Hall of Fame trainer will still have a wild card to play in the June 9 Belmont Stakes with Paynter, who on Sunday worked a solid five furlongs over the Belmont Park training track.
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MIAMI - Shortly after Ravelo’s Boy worked seven furlongs in 1:28.29 at Calder on Sunday with jockey Alex Solis aboard, trainer Manny Azpurua confirmed that his horse will run in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.
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ELMONT, N.Y. – On a humid but dry and sun-filled morning, a trio of Belmont Stakes contenders put in workouts over a drying-out Belmont Park main track.
Meanwhile, Triple Crown candidate I’ll Have Another appeared to have another good morning, galloping seven furlongs over a main track labeled good for morning training.
Street Life, the third-place finisher in the Peter Pan, worked four furlongs in 47.82 seconds under exercise rider Richard Johnson.
