I’ll Have Another will not have to chase down Bodemeister to complete a Triple Crown sweep since his main rival in winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness is skipping the final US horse race classic.
But that gives little comfort to I’ll Have Another trainer Doug O’Neill, who knows he will have plenty of opponents trying to deny him a victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes that would give him the first treble since Affirmed in 1978.
“Any time you can dodge an amazing horse like that, it’s a good thing,” O’Neill said of Derby and Preakness runner-up Bodemeister. “He’s a brilliant horse. Him being out makes it a little easier.
“But there are so many other horses who skipped the first two races that are waiting for us.”
The chestnut colt is trying to become only the 12th horse to sweep the biggest American horse racing match-ups for three-year-olds.
“There will be fresh horses – Union Rags and Dullahan come to mind – but our horse came out of the race in great shape and we’re ready to go,” O’Neill said.
“I think we’ve got a horse and a team that can, with a little bit of luck, have an unbelievable time in three weeks.”
O’Neill compared not having to face Bodemeister in the 2400m Belmont showdown with facing the NBA’s Miami Heat if LeBron James was not playing – still a difficult challenge even without the premier star playmaker.
Bodemeister trainer Bob Baffert said he was never planning to send his horse to Belmont after making his sixth start of the year at the Preakness, losing by a head after being passed by 1-1/2 lengths at the finish to lose the Derby.
“I wasn’t going to go on win, lose or draw,” Baffert said. “I’ve run him hard.”
I’ll Have Another ran only three times last year before suffering a shin injury last September. He did not run again until a win last February and then earned a trip to Kentucky by winning April’s Santa Anita Derby.
Dullahan, trained by Dale Romans, finished third at the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes.
“We thought our best chance to win was the Belmont,” Romans said. “We’ll give him a run for his money. Only the great ones win the Triple Crown. Nobody is going to give it to you.”
Mexican 25-year-old jockey Mario Gutierrez has not lost in four rides aboard I’ll Have Another this year.
He gives credit to the horse and owner J Paul Reddam agrees that the horse is special.
“He knows what he has to do and he has the heart of a champion,” Reddam said.
