Triple Crown Hopeful Retires Due to Injury

A minor injury to the left front leg has ended the bid by I’ll Have Another--winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, as well as the Derby--to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 34 years and has also ended his racing career.

“I’m here today to officially tell you I’ll Have Another is retired,” owner Paul Reddam said at a televised news conference at Belmont Park in New York Friday.

As trainer Doug O’Neill paraded the winner of the horse around in front of a throng of reporters, Reddam added, “You can see he's in good shape. So I’m afraid history will have to wait for another day.”

O’Neill followed Reddam to the microphone to explain why the decision was made to scratch the horse from Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, where I’ll Have Another could have been the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“This is extremely tough for all of us,” O’Neill began. “Though it's far from tragic, no one died or anything like that, it's extremely disappointing and I feel sorry for the whole team. We're had such an amazing run.”

He then thanked Reddam and his wife Zillah and the entire team.

O’Neill made it clear that the detention barn where I’ll Have Another had been staying the past couple of days had nothing to do the with leg injury.

He said that a minor skin irritation and some swelling was noticed last night but then the horse galloped well in a light workout this morning at 5:30 East Coast time, three hours earlier than normal.

“I thought he looked great on the track,” O’Neill said. And then cooling out, you could tell the swelling was back and at that point I didn't feel very good."

It turned out to be the start of tendonitis in his left front tendon. O'Neill said I'll Have Another could have raced again after a layoff of three to six months but that the decision was made to retire him.

The horse retires with earnings of $2,693,600 and a record of five wins, one second and a sixth in seven races.

I’ll Have Another was purchased by O’Neill’s brother, Dennis, for $35,000 at a Florida sale last year. Now that he is retired to stud, his value could be as much as $12 million.

So it is understandable that his connections didn’t want to risk a fatal injury in the Belmont, but more importantly another racing fatality would  have been a huge blow to horse racing.

And that would have been a real tragedy.

Santa Anita CEO Mark Verge, who has been Doug O'Neill's friend since the two attended junior high together in Santa Monica, said: "This is obviously a huge disappointment for our sport.

"While we congratulate Paul and Zillah Reddam, Doug O'Neill and his entire team on their run to greatness following the Santa Anita Derby, we also feel grateful this problem was detected early and that the horse is in good order."

Santa Anita was expecting a big crowd today for off-track wagering. The Arcadia will still be open, but the crowd certainly won't be as big as expect. Neither will the ratings for NBC's coverage of the Belmont Stakes with its big draw.