I”ll Have Another, hours from his historic bid for the Triple Crown in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, was scratched from the race Friday with tendonitis and retired.
Originally favored at 4-5 on the morning-line for the 144th “Test of the Champion,” I’ll Have Another will be the 12th horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown and not complete the sweep in the Belmont.
But the crowd at Belmont Park, which would have numbered over 100,000 before the scratch, will still get to see the Kentucky Derby and Preakness champion. In a “ceremonial tribute,” I’ll Have Another, with jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard, will lead the post parade for the Belmont, the New York Racing Association announced.
“This is extremely tough for all of us,” trainer Doug O’Neill said at a 1 p.m. press conference to announce the retirement. “He has been quiet the last few days of galloping, but his legs have been great. Yesterday, in the afternoon we noticed some loss of definition in his left front leg, which we prayed was just a bit of skin irritation.
“This morning, he looked great, and we did a little easy gallop with him. Then cooling out, you could tell the swelling was back.”
Veterinarian Dr. Jim Hunt diagnosed the problem as the start of tendonitis in his left front leg, an injury that would take up to six months to heal. I’ll Have Another would need another six months of training after that before he could race again.
“Obviously he’s done so much that it was unanimous between the Reddams (his owners) and my brother and I and everyone at the barn to retire him,” said O’Neill.
With I’ll Have Another out of the race, Dullahan has been installed as the 9-5 favorite in a field of 11.