Belmont Stakes

[Dark Horse]

Will there be a Triple Crown winner this year? In spite of the sincerest efforts by the NYRA to disrupt the preparation of each horse, very possibly ...

The preparation was always big for I'll Have Another, who travels with and is shown the ropes by Lava Man, who, judging from the stories, seems to keep IHA relaxed and focused. He also arrives at the track very early, which is a big plus (particularly for this race, as confirmed by Billy Turner who trained 1977 TC winner Seattle Slew). Jockey Mario Gutierrez is taking the week before the race off to better familiarize himself with the track. The emphasis on an ideal preparation makes the over-the-top involvement of the NYRA all the more annoying. Like a referee who prances over the field, imagining himself more important than the athletes around him.

There may be a field of 10 or 11 horses, but this looks like a 4 horse race. The distance will be a big challenge. Performance range is indicated by Beyers and some of the horses in this race have no business being there, most notably Five Sixteenth, who never ran higher than a 78 Beyer. With highs below 90, Atigun, Unstoppable U, and Guyana Dweep Star can also be safely tossed out. For three year olds I use the general guideline that a horse, for an excellent race, will not record a figure that is better than his previous high plus 10 (fast and firm tracks only). Two horses on the bubble are Street Life and Optimizer.

Baffert is sending another speed, replacing Bodemeister with Paynter, who ran a fast 106 Beyer at Pimlico in race 4 on Preakness day. Rider will again be Mike Smith, who also rode Bodemeister. Familiar faces at the wire?

Dullahan, a closer, finished strong in the Kentucky Derby, which had blazing fractions. Change of rider from Kent Desormeaux to Javier Castellano. Highest Beyer 98. Distance could favor him, but the pace may not.

Union Rags, a stalker, has not shown much since his 2 year old season. The horse seems to have a more impressive following than learning curve, but is still among contenders. Highest Beyer 95. Other than the catchy name, I'm not a fan of this horse, who seems to lack the necessary burst of speed.

I'll Have Another will be the race favorite. Everybody knows the story. Highest Beyer 109.

At a first glance I think it may be between I'll Have Another and Dullahan. More later.

[Arletta]

I found this interesting.

"Five of the last six Triple Crown winners -- Count Fleet (1943), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978) -- all won the Belmont Stakes by running on the lead at every call. Assault stalked his way to victory in 1946."

http://www.thedowneyprofile.com/More_Racing_News/2012/05/31/winning-belmont-stakes-patterns-since-1978.415830

[Dark Horse]

That's not I'll Have Another's style.

He was almost out of the race. A black eye for the pompous NYRA, beating itself on the chest every chance it gets.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Belmont Stakes nearly lost its marquee player Thursday morning when a different horse got loose and nearly ran into Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another during training hours at Belmont Park.

I’ll Have Another was not touched by the loose horse and was able to complete his normal training regiment without issue, but it created some anxious moments for trainer Doug O’Neill.

“I’m still a little twisted by it,” O’Neill said holding his stomach about an hour after the incident. “I’ve seen accidents happen before. Fortunately, everything worked out fine.”

I’ll Have Another galloped a strong mile under exercise rider Jonny Garcia.

The incident led to O’Neill calling NYRA officials to see if they would designate a certain time solely for Belmont Stakes horses to train. P.J. Campo, vice president/director of racing for NYRA, was working out the logistics of such an arrangement late Thursday morning. Such an arrangement is in place at Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.

The horse who got loose was 3-year-old maiden filly Isleta, bred and co-owned by the Steinbrenner family’s Kinsman Stable and recently transferred to trainer Carl Domino.

[nvrlose37]

It's really hard to throw any horse out of contention in the Belmont. Given it's such a long distance for any of these 3 year olds, it almost turns into a guessing game. Couple that with the TC on the line and there is gonna be a lot of money up for grabs if IHA doesn't win. I'm very surprised if he goes off for less than even money, Dullahan and Union Rags should pose a problem on paper anyway. Alpha is a NY horse so he could do some damage as well. But really any of those others could hit in the exotics, and pay some astronomical amount like it has in the past Belmonts with the TC on the line.

That's why I'm living by the 'ALL' option in this one.

[Easy-Rider 66]

It's really hard to throw any horse out of contention in the Belmont. Given it's such a long distance for any of these 3 year olds, it almost turns into a guessing game. Couple that with the TC on the line and there is gonna be a lot of money up for grabs if IHA doesn't win. I'm very surprised if he goes off for less than even money, Dullahan and Union Rags should pose a problem on paper anyway. Alpha is a NY horse so he could do some damage as well. But really any of those others could hit in the exotics, and pay some astronomical amount like it has in the past Belmonts with the TC on the line.

That's why I'm living by the 'ALL' option in this one.

Alpha is not running in the race. He developed some kind of infection/fever.

[nvrlose37]

Alpha is not running in the race. He developed some kind of infection/fever.

Damn, he was a 20-1 or so I was going to count on. This changes a lot of my bets but I still say it could be anyone's race seeing from Sarava, Birdstone, Da'Tara, Ruler on Ice

[Arletta]

Damn, he was a 20-1 or so I was going to count on. This changes a lot of my bets but I still say it could be anyone's race seeing from Sarava, Birdstone, Da'Tara, Ruler on Ice

I guess this years "D'Tara" is Optimizer....



I just find it hard to imagine that horse turning things around now.

[Easy-Rider 66]

I guess this years "D'Tara" is Optimizer....



I just find it hard to imagine that horse turning things around now.

Big difference betwen those 2 horses is that Optimizer is running in all 3 Triple Crown races. D'Tara only ran in the Belmont. Much prefer the big underdogs that are new shooters to the Triple Crown or at least bypassed the Preakness like Birdstone.

[qsilver335]

One of the horses that bypassed the Preakness will take this down today. The horses with the month off always seem so much more prepared for the distance of the Belmont. I would love to see a triple crown, but I just cant see it happening today. Good luck everyone!

[Khiaao]

No triple crown winner, a long shot will win the Belmont Stakes

[mikemca]

I guess this years "D'Tara" is Optimizer....



I just find it hard to imagine that horse turning things around now.

Big difference betwen those 2 horses is that Optimizer is running in all 3 Triple Crown races. D'Tara only ran in the Belmont. Much prefer the big underdogs that are new shooters to the Triple Crown or at least bypassed the Preakness like Birdstone.

I think its almost impossible to come up with Optimizer but I will say that his one competitive race at Oaklawn a few back came out of nowhere where he also looked impossible.

[TonyP]

Paynter might be dangerous

[Dark Horse]

Paynter paints a familiar picture for I'll Have Another. Very generous of Baffert to replace Bodemeister with another speed horse for IHA to time his stretch run to. Gutierrez has said he is convinced that IHA knows exactly where the wire is.

I really like what O'Neill is doing with I'll Have Another. Arrived early again. Lava Man is allowed in the detention barn, where all horses have to be three days before the race. O'Neill has asked for permission for IHA to go in that stable two days earlier; as early as possible. So while I don't like the detention barn, and it will throw off the rhythm of all horses (Dale Romans has already complained on behalf of Dullahan, and Martz has done the same for Union Rags), O'Neill and I'll Have Another seem to be dealing with it the best. Lava Man is a big part of keeping IHA relaxed.

I'm not too concerned with IHA running out of gas. At the wire of the Preakness he was looking for the next horse to catch up to (ears forward, with Bodemeister's ears still pinned back, as str pointed out). He could have gone longer. This horse is having a lot of fun. A danger could come from riders who are far more familiar with Belmont than Gutierrez. He may not have as clean a run as in the first two TC races, but this jockey is very intuitive with the horse. Let's see what post he draws.

[qsilver335]

I think the post position will play a big part in this race for IHA. He has broken relatively clean in the 2 previous triple crown races, and I think he will have to do that again to have a shot at winning the Belmont.

[Easy-Rider 66]

I think the post position will play a big part in this race for IHA. He has broken relatively clean in the 2 previous triple crown races, and I think he will have to do that again to have a shot at winning the Belmont.

I am under the impression that post position is not that important in a 10 horse field going a 1 1/2 as in many other races. Correct me if I am mistaken.

[Dark Horse]

Good insight from a former Belmont jockey

Migliore: Belmont a Challenge for Mario
By Lenny Shulman

Richard Migliore won 1,352 races at Belmont Park over a 30-year career that ended two years ago because of serious injuries he incurred while in the saddle. Migliore, who scored in 78 stakes at Belmont Park, offerred a few words of advice to Mario Gutierrez, who will seek to win the Triple Crown over Big Sandy aboard I'll Have Another in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 9.

"The biggest thing is the sheer size and scope of Belmont Park, which is so different than riding at a one-mile track," Migliore said of the mile- and-a-half Belmont oval. "You get so conditioned as a rider to want to move forward as you get into the second turn to get into position and get into the race. The problem at Belmont is when you do that you still have 4 1/2 furlongs to go, not three furlongs."

Once jockeys switch their mounts to the 'go' position, it's nearly impossible to turn them back off, which has led to Belmont Stakes being lost by premature moves. The other unique facet of the race is its 12-furlong distance, the longest dirt race in the country for 3-year-olds.

"How many times do you ride 1 1/2 miles in this country?" asked Migliore. "You're not used to riding that distance, and then when you compund that with Belmont not being your home track, it can be a recipe for disaster. Ideally, you'd want to ride there for several days before the Belmont. You'd want to do a lot of homework and watch a lot of videotape. And you'd want to physically walk the racetrack because that gives you an idea of its immensity."

Migliore, who works for HRTV as an analyst, feels that Gutierrez can overcome his unfamiliarity with the race and the track given what he's seen of him in the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

"I think this kid has the right personality and demeanor," Migliore said. "He seems like a cool customer. We don't know what's going on inside his head, but outwardly Gutierrez seems very relaxed and enjoying the moment. He doesn't seem to be overthinking it or worrying about things, and he seems very in sync with this horse.

"He has a lot of confidence in him and has a handle on how much horse he has underneath him. In the Preakness (gr. I) he waited until the horse got on his right lead and then set him down. Part of it could be he's ridden him four times and has never lost on him. I know from experience when you haven't been beaten on a horse, it's hard for you to see him losing.

"I thought maybe he'd go to a left-handed stick in the Preakness but he never switched sticks and it ended up that was the right move. It got me thinking about Steve Cauthen. Cauthen never hit Affirmed left-handed until the Belmont Stakes when he really needed it. Is this kid following suit by design? I'm seeing these funny parallels that maybe mean nothing, but maybe they do."

As good as the rider has been, the key player in the race will be I'll Have Another himself, and in particular how he is able to adapt to the unique Belmont racing surface and the pressure of three tough races in five weeks. Here, Migliore also sees signs for optimism.

"I'll Have Another seems responsive to his rider's cues; he waits to be told when to move and seems pretty unflappable. So I think they're the right combination coming into this. He is the kind of high-energy horse that gets a lot of air and puts a lot into his training, which is key in getting 1 1/2 miles. Now it's just a matter of dotting your I's and crossing your T's and doing your homework."

[str]

Totally spot on!

Migliore: Belmont a Challenge for Mario
By Lenny Shulman

Richard Migliore won 1,352 races at Belmont Park over a 30-year career that ended two years ago because of serious injuries he incurred while in the saddle. Migliore, who scored in 78 stakes at Belmont Park, offerred a few words of advice to Mario Gutierrez, who will seek to win the Triple Crown over Big Sandy aboard I'll Have Another in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 9.

"The biggest thing is the sheer size and scope of Belmont Park, which is so different than riding at a one-mile track," Migliore said of the mile- and-a-half Belmont oval. "You get so conditioned as a rider to want to move forward as you get into the second turn to get into position and get into the race. The problem at Belmont is when you do that you still have 4 1/2 furlongs to go, not three furlongs."

Once jockeys switch their mounts to the 'go' position, it's nearly impossible to turn them back off, which has led to Belmont Stakes being lost by premature moves. The other unique facet of the race is its 12-furlong distance, the longest dirt race in the country for 3-year-olds.

"How many times do you ride 1 1/2 miles in this country?" asked Migliore. "You're not used to riding that distance, and then when you compund that with Belmont not being your home track, it can be a recipe for disaster. Ideally, you'd want to ride there for several days before the Belmont. You'd want to do a lot of homework and watch a lot of videotape. And you'd want to physically walk the racetrack because that gives you an idea of its immensity."

Migliore, who works for HRTV as an analyst, feels that Gutierrez can overcome his unfamiliarity with the race and the track given what he's seen of him in the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

"I think this kid has the right personality and demeanor," Migliore said. "He seems like a cool customer. We don't know what's going on inside his head, but outwardly Gutierrez seems very relaxed and enjoying the moment. He doesn't seem to be overthinking it or worrying about things, and he seems very in sync with this horse.

"He has a lot of confidence in him and has a handle on how much horse he has underneath him. In the Preakness (gr. I) he waited until the horse got on his right lead and then set him down. Part of it could be he's ridden him four times and has never lost on him. I know from experience when you haven't been beaten on a horse, it's hard for you to see him losing.

"I thought maybe he'd go to a left-handed stick in the Preakness but he never switched sticks and it ended up that was the right move. It got me thinking about Steve Cauthen. Cauthen never hit Affirmed left-handed until the Belmont Stakes when he really needed it. Is this kid following suit by design? I'm seeing these funny parallels that maybe mean nothing, but maybe they do."

As good as the rider has been, the key player in the race will be I'll Have Another himself, and in particular how he is able to adapt to the unique Belmont racing surface and the pressure of three tough races in five weeks. Here, Migliore also sees signs for optimism.

"I'll Have Another seems responsive to his rider's cues; he waits to be told when to move and seems pretty unflappable. So I think they're the right combination coming into this. He is the kind of high-energy horse that gets a lot of air and puts a lot into his training, which is key in getting 1 1/2 miles. Now it's just a matter of dotting your I's and crossing your T's and doing your homework."

[nomar122977]

IHA wins for fun saturday. mario will sit back let these speed horse kill each other in crazy fractions then boom right by them on the stretch. this is one hot horse and will continue to roll with yet another race no one will give him the respect thats due. i will be playing him on top with street life/paynter/optimixer underneath .

[cecil127]

IHA/Paynter/Dullahan exacta box for a few sheckles
IHA over Paynter/Dullahan trifecta and exacta for a few more quid.....

[yahoonino]

No triple crown winner, a long shot will win the Belmont Stakes

i was thinking the same thing,,,but who ????

[Dark Horse]

Would be nice for a payout if one of those 50-1 horses delivered, but not very likely. Three of the horses are local and would not have raced if this race where in any other state, so I would toss out Five Sixteen, Guyana Star Dweej, and Unstoppable U.

I just completed a first analysis of the full field (2 hours). Nothing final, but didn't expect to see the relative ease with which I'll Have Another could win this.

[nomar122977]

the belmont sets up PERFECT for IHA. this horse can run for days and with the stupid speed horses in here IHA will sit back let them kill each other and blow right past them. BOOK IT !!!!

[Dark Horse]

Not so great news for IHA and detention barn. Lava Man won't be there.

Trainer Doug O’Neill said June 5 that he was holding off on relocating I'll Have Another to the barn set aside for Belmont Stakes (gr. I) horses at Belmont Park and that the move would now be made after morning training is over June 6.

O’Neill had initially said the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner would move to the barn after training hours June 5. However, Team O’Neill and other connections of Belmont horses were to participate in a noon media event in midtown Manhattan. O’Neill said the scheduling of that luncheon would mean he would not be there to observe the move if it took place as originally planned.

Last week, the New York State Racing & Wagering Board notified trainers of Belmont horses they would all be located within a barn set aside specifically for equine participants in the June 9 race. In addition to having all Belmont horses in one barn before the noon June 6 deadline, the NYSRWB also issued an extensive set of procedures and guidelines for activity in and out of the barn.

O’Neill said Lava Man, the gelding who earned $5 million on the track and is a stable pony who accompanies I’ll Have Another to the track, will remain in Barn 9 at Belmont Park and will not go to the stakes barn.

“I think it would be too nerve-wracking for him,” the trainer said. “He will still chaperon him (I’ll Have Another) to the track every morning but I’m a little worried that Lava Man might get a little anxious.”


Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1x29HEr8z

[nvrlose37]

the belmont sets up PERFECT for IHA. this horse can run for days and with the stupid speed horses in here IHA will sit back let them kill each other and blow right past them. BOOK IT !!!!

I doubt that even the frontrunners will kill themselves on the lead. Sure they will end up dropping out of it most likely but their fractions won't be anything near what the previous two races have been, for obvious reasons.

[Dark Horse]

Finally, O'Neill threatened to pull I'll Have Another from the race, because the security idiots told him he couldn't cook IHA's oats. I'd love to see IHA win the TC, but another part of me wouldn't mind it if he withdrew the horse. NYRA couldn't possibly make itself look any worse. These idiots should be honored to have a potential TC winner.

Belmont Stakes 2012: Security barn irks trainers
By Jay Privman

ELMONT, N.Y. – 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.

The latest contretemps occurred Wednesday afternoon, when the security staff at the barn told Doug O’Neill, trainer of I’ll Have Another, and Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags, that they could not cook their oats before feeding their horses. O’Neill, who has outwardly maintained an even keel over all the hoops he has been required to jump through leading up to this race – no nasal strip for his horse, moving to the security barn, exhaustive requirements for licensing for his personnel – finally had enough and threatened to pull his horse from the race, pointing out that I’ll Have Another needs his oats cooked to avoid colic.

Minutes later, permission was granted to cook oats, so Oatgate was averted.

“They yell about Lasix and things like that, but the biggest problem is uniformity,” Matz said Thursday morning. “Why can’t we have the same rules for the Triple Crown races? They didn’t have this for the Derby. They didn’t have this for the Preakness. Why are they making a big deal here?”

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board announced May 30 – 11 days after the Preakness, only 10 days before the Belmont – that a detention barn would be set up for the Belmont Stakes horses. It forced trainers to alter their schedules. Matz, for instance, was not planning to arrive here until Thursday from the Fair Hill training center in Maryland, but he was forced to come a day earlier.

“They knew all along the Belmont was on June 9,” he said.

All 12 runners had to be in the detention barn by midday Wednesday. With the exception of when they go out to train in the morning, they must remain in that barn until the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

The barn was chaotic Thursday as most Belmont horses went out to train just after the renovation break and came back to be bathed at similar times.

“It was like traffic going into New York City,” said Bob Baffert, trainer of Paynter.

“I don’t know that they are able to relax like they would in a quieter barn,” Matz said.

That atmosphere, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said, is the biggest drawback to the detention barn.

“If a horse next to you is raising hell, what can you do?” said Lukas, who has Optimizer in the Belmont. “They could have put a security guard in front of every horse at his own stall and accomplished the same thing. It’s all perception. It’s not an ideal situation for a security barn.

“What happens if a horse gets stirred up in there for two or three days? A guy is betting his money believing a horse will run like he did in the past out of his own barn, so how is that protecting the public?”

Lukas said having the Belmont horses, and only the Belmont horses, go to a detention barn was hypocritical in that no other races Saturday, or even this year in New York, are subject to that requirement.

“I’ve got Hamazing Destiny running in a $400,000 race Saturday,” he said, referring to the True North for older sprinters. “So that’s not important?”

[str]

Finally, O'Neill threatened to pull I'll Have Another from the race, because the security idiots told him he couldn't cook IHA's oats. I'd love to see IHA win the TC, but another part of me wouldn't mind it if he withdrew the horse. NYRA couldn't possibly make itself look any worse. These idiots should be honored to have a potential TC winner.

No doubt it was a green security guard, Barnie Fife type, that set this off. Once Barnie got on the phone and called Andy, all was ok.
Man, this kind of stuff used to go on every now and then on the backside but certainly not before the Belmont ! NYRA is really making a fool of themselves over this.

[Dark Horse]

Man, this kind of stuff used to go on every now and then on the backside but certainly not before the Belmont ! NYRA is really making a fool of themselves over this.

Incredible. It helps nobody. Certainly not the horses.


My projection for the race. This is based on careful consideration of projected form of day, translated to a more general conversion into speed figures. (decided not to include color-coding here, because of the unique nature of the Belmont).

                  [B]SPEED  PRESS SPEED    STALK     CLOSE        EST BEYER
[/B]
  1				        Street Life              93 
  2		  Unstoppable U                                  92
  3				        Union Rags               95
  4				        Atigun                   90
  5						  Dullahan       99
  6						  Ravelo’s Boy   75
  7				        Five Sixteen             74
  8					Guyana Star Dweej        94
  9		  Paynter                                        97
 10						  Optimizer      91
 11					I’ll Have Another        114
 12               My Adonis                                      100

Definitely surprised by the gap between I'll Have Another and the rest of the field. For reference, if my model had caught him on a bad day his projected figure would have been 91 or 92. Factor in pace at your own expertise. If the speed horses get into an early duel that could easily move Dullahan ahead of My Adonis.

[Khiaao]

no triple crown winner, one of the long shots will take it

[Easy-Rider 66]

Incredible. It helps nobody. Certainly not the horses.


My projection for the race. This is based on careful consideration of projected form of day, translated to a more general conversion into speed figures. (decided not to include color-coding here, because of the unique nature of the Belmont).

                  [B]SPEED  PRESS SPEED    STALK     CLOSE        EST BEYER
[/B]
  1                        Street Life              93 
  2          Unstoppable U                                  92
  3                        Union Rags               95
  4                        Atigun                   90
  5                          Dullahan       99
  6                          Ravelo’s Boy   75
  7                        Five Sixteen             74
  8                    Guyana Star Dweej        94
  9          Paynter                                        97
 10                          Optimizer      91
 11                    I’ll Have Another        114
 12               My Adonis                                      100

Definitely surprised by the gap between I'll Have Another and the rest of the field. For reference, if my model had caught him on a bad day his projected figure would have been 91 or 92. Factor in pace at your own expertise. If the speed horses get into an early duel that could easily move Dullahan ahead of My Adonis.

You have IHA moving up 5 points on the beyer scale from his Preakness score. I think he is more likely to regress.

[Dark Horse]

Sure, but my model is not based on opinions, but on five different projected forms of day (involving complex algorithms). Another excellent form could send him higher up on his growth curve. I rely on the scale and separation between horses more than the actual figure. If I see two or three horses with a 5 point gap to the rest of the field I'm a happy camper.

This method is improved from its successful first run last season, so I'm hoping for another profitable run. Is it beyond further improvement? Definitely not. The complexities of this game are such that I could never consider myself more than its fascinated student.

On that note, the model obviously does not include the unknown effects on the horses of a detention barn. If this were any other race, I would pass with such a derailed preparation from their normal routine. But with a horse in serious contention for the Triple Crown, what choice do I have? lol

[Dark Horse]

update:

                  [B]SPEED  PRESS SPEED    STALK     CLOSE        EST BEYER
[/B]
  1				        Street Life              85
  2		  Unstoppable U                                  92
  3				        Union Rags               98
  4				        Atigun                   90
  5						  Dullahan       101
  6						  Ravelo’s Boy   84
  7				        Five Sixteen             79
  8					Guyana Star Dweej        94
  9		  Paynter                                        102
 10						  Optimizer      91
 11					I’ll Have Another        112
 12               My Adonis                                      97

[Dark Horse]

I'll Have Another was scratched. Injured while in detention barn.

[Dark Horse]

What a downer.

No bet for me. No value at all.

[Khiaao]

sucks

[Dark Horse]

Doug O'Neill is too classy to point out the obvious, and when asked said the injury had nothing to do with the barn. Really? This was written before the injury was discovered on Thursday.

Haskin’s Belmont Report: Barn Burner
07 Jun 2012 6:33 PM 32 Comments
What do Bobby Frankel, Max Hirsch, and John Sabini, chairman of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, have in common?

They have all used Barn 2 on the Belmont backstretch to leave an indelible mark on Thoroughbred racing. The first two gave racing countless thrills. The third gave it a black eye.

Yes, we know the implementation of a “stakes” barn for the Belmont Stakes horses is supposed to “protect the integrity of the sport.” But spin is one thing and reality is another. It’s amazing that Sabini can say that with a straight face when the entire world knows why they decided to use a stakes barn this particular year.

As Dullahan’s trainer Dale Romans, said, “They think we’re all crooks.” He’s right. That is the only way this move is going to be perceived. Those unknowing poor souls at Churchill Downs and Pimlico allowed the horses to race out of their own barn. Shame on them. The New York politicians are going to show them how to do it correctly.

So, the SRWB wants to protect the integrity of the sport, but only for the Belmont Stakes. The heck with the sport’s integrity in all the other races. They don’t care what happens in those races. And, of course, should I’ll Have Another lose the Belmont, the main reaction will be, “See, there, the barn worked. We prevented I’ll Have Another from being tampered with.”

That thinking reminds us of a story actor/comedian George Gobel used to tell of his service in the Army during World War II, when he was stationed in Oklahoma. Gobel noted what a good job he had done in service to his country, because “not a single Jap got past Tulsa.”

Yep, that stakes barn worked just fine. Not a single doped up horse got by the Barn 2 Brigade.

So, of course, it was reported on Wednesday that I’ll Have Another had been restless in the new barn, sniffing and kicking, and is taking a while to settle in. Fortunately, he eventually did settle in fine and was his usual spirited self on the racetrack Thursday morning, turning in one of his better gallop/breezes.

There has been so much insanity in that barn already, it has become a slapstick comedy; but no one is laughing it’s so ridiculous. It’s as ridiculous as, oh, let’s say, NYRA preventing I’ll Have Another from using nasal strips or the California Horse Racing Board suspending O’Neill two weeks before the Belmont, even though they concluded there was no wrongdoing, no milkshaking, and no ill intent. But that part got buried in the report.

The whole barn scenario has already become a nightmare and is totally out of hand. It started when they wouldn’t allow Doug O’Neill and Michael Matz to cook their oats. O’Neill was told, “We know what you guys put in oats?” O’Neill, who has put up with more intense scrutiny, negative press, and condemnation from an ignorant national media than anyone should have to endure, finally threatened to take drastic actions and get out of Dodge, stating that I’ll Have Another needs his oats cooked.

Union Rags requires silicone-free needles to draw blood, because he is very sensitive on his neck, so Matz brought several silicone-free needles with him and informed the proper authorities in advance. But he still was given a hard time by the attending vet, who insisted on using regular needles and told him he’d have to clear it with the stewards. It took another vet to step in and help calm the situation.

When Bob Baffert’s assistant, Jimmy Barnes, walked in the barn with a bucket of ice, the bucket was searched thoroughly, with a security person sloshing through the ice with his hands. Heaven knows what he was searching for at the bottom of an ice bucket.

Once again, the integrity of racing was upheld.

And, with the majority of Belmont horses going out at 8:30, when only Belmont Stakes horses are allowed on the track, you had 10 or 11 horses having to be washed down at the same time. Have we used the word insanity before?

Dale Romans, who did compliment NYRA for making the best of a bad situation and fixing up the barn with such short notice, decided to take Dullahan out at 7:15 to avoid the 8:45 wash jam.

If I’ll Have Another should lose the Belmont, how many uninformed people, believing everything they read, will be convinced it was because he was put in a security, oops, stakes, barn?

Yep, that barn sure worked. Racing has been saved from the forces of evil.

Team O'Neill arrived on May 20th, the day after the Preakness, to have a quiet as possible preparation. With Lava Man. Every detail looked after. Thanks NY. You f*cked things up like nobody could have.