I’ll Have Another scratched from Stakes

There will be no Triple Crown winner this year.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another was scratched from Saturday’s 144th running of the Belmont Stakes and retired after being diagnosed with early onset tendinitis in his left front leg.

It’s the first time since Bold Venture in 1936 that a Derby and Preakness winner will miss the Belmont. I’ll Have Another, who ends his career with five victories and one second-place finish in seven starts, was the 4-5 morning favorite to become the first horse since Affirmed in ’78 to sweep thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.

“Yeah, this is extremely tough for all of us,” I’ll Have Another trainer Doug O’Neill said at a press conference at Belmont on Friday afternoon. “Though it's far from tragic, no one died or anything like that, but it's extremely disappointing and I feel so sorry for the whole team. We have had such an amazing run, you know, for me, taking three buses to go to Santa Anita at age 10 to be here and try to make history.

“He has been showing a little bit of – you know, he has been quiet the last few days of galloping, but his legs have been great.  Yesterday he galloped great, but in the afternoon we noticed some loss of definition in his left front leg to which, like every other owner and trainer we prayed he just kind of hit himself and it was just a little bit of skin irritation, we did him up in a special poultice.
 

“This morning he looked great; so I thank the racing gods there.  And we did just a little easy gallop with him today.  I thought he looked great on the track.
 

“And then cooling out, you could tell that swelling was back and at that point I didn't feel very good.  I talked to Mr. [owner, Paul] Reddam, and you know, immediately we got Dr. [Jim] Hunt over here and he asked and answered him and he said it was the start of tendonitis in his left front tendon; and you know, you give him three to six months and start back with him.

“But obviously he's done so much that it was unanimous between the Reddams, my brother and I and everyone at the barn to retire him. And it is a bummer, but again, far from tragic, but it is very disappointing.