Now that I’ll Have Another is settled in to the stakes barn, it’s a huge comfort. He’s such a wonderful-minded horse. It makes you a lot more relaxed seeing your horse laying down in there, eating up everything.
Actually, I haven’t seen one horse in there that’s been uncomfortable. I haven’t talked to all the trainers, but it sure seems like everyone is settled in and doing good. So the barn should be a non-issue.
I’m still very confident about tomorrow. I’ll Have Another continues to train great. Good energy. Good stride. He’s recovering quicker every day from his gallops.
The only minor hiccup he’s had along the way was a little snotty nose about a week before the Preakness. That was no big deal. That’s how crucial it is to be healthy and injury-free. That’s the key to this whole thing. Knock on wood, it’s all we’ve seen so far.
But we’ve still got another couple of days. So we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.
Things have been so hectic, I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to sit down with Mario (Gutierrez, I’ll Have Another’s jockey) and watch the DVD of past Belmonts. I know that Mario has. A friend of his from Canada invited him over to watch the replays on his big-screen TV before coming to New York.
But at the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s about Mario and the horse. I’ll Have Another has gotten used to the course, its circumference and its size. Mario has as well. He’s been out there in the mornings, and he is going to ride in the (1 1/2-mile) Brooklyn Handicap today. I know he’s ready for it.
I really didn’t give him many instructions before the Derby and the Preakness. We thought we were going to be more forwardly placed in the Preakness, but then Creative Cause ended up going with Bodemeister, and all our plans got out of order. That just shows you the confidence and brilliance of Mario to call an audible and adjust.
He’s a great kid and a great rider. I have all the faith in the world in him.