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Tag: Belmont Stakes

  • Belmont Stakes: Tonalist Wins, No Triple Crown for California Chrome

    The Belmont Stakes saw history making hopes dashed yet again on Saturday. Tonalist won the race, meaning California Chrome didn’t win that coveted Triple Crown. Tonalist was ridden by jockey Joel Rosario.

    Hopes ran exceedingly high prior to the race, in hopes that California Chrome would become the first horse in 36 years to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes for a sweep and the Triple Crown win.

    ESPN racing expert Hank Goldberg told CNN earlier on Saturday, “I think we’re going to see history.”

    California Chrome was favored to win the Belmont Stakes where a crowd of about 100,000 people watched in anticipation.

    “I expect him to win,” co-owner Steve Coburn said prior to race time. “I really do.”

    This was Mexican jockey Victor Espinoza’s second shot at winning the Triple Crown. Twelve years ago he captured the first two legs of the Triple Crown riding War Emblem. Sadly he stumbled out of the gate and never even threatened at the Belmont Stakes.

    “Very few horses go in all three races and there are a lot of good horses in the field on Saturday that will be fresher,” Espinoza told CNN before the race Saturday. “That’s why it’s so, so tough.”

    Tonalist is trained by Christophe Clement and owned by Lane Gold. Even though he has denied California Chrome a chance at making history, he still deserves his rightful place as the winner of the Belmont Stakes. Commissioner took second place at the Belmont Stakes with Medal Count coming in third. Sadly California Chrome placed fourth–a far cry from what was expected of the horse. His owner tweeted out a very sportsman-like message following today’s race.

    Another chance has passed at seeing a Triple Crown winner, but who knows what next year will bring? California Chrome seemingly came out of nowhere this year and got a shot at making history at today’s Belmont Stakes. Who’s to say that can’t happen again in the near future?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • I’ll Have Another Has His Own Twitter Account

    I’ll Have Another Has given people hope. Hope that for the first time since 1977 when Affirmed did it, he will win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The past 34 years have brought some close calls and in the last 15 years 7 horses have won the first two legs (The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes) only to fail at the monstrous mile and a half at the Belmont Stakes.

    I’ll Have Another is gaining a bit of a cult following. Part of this is due to his John McCrea (Lead singer of Cake) look alike trainer Doug O’Neill, and part , of course, is due to the fact that he won the first 2 legs. They have actually opened a twitter account for the horse! When asked about how the horse is handling Tweeting, O’neil said “The horse is. … He’s having a hard time with the hoofs with the keys.”

    So at least they are having fun in this very stressful time. I’ll have another’s chance at immortality rests upon wether or not his jockey can pace him enough around the final turn so he has enough left in the tank for the stretch run. If I’ll Have Another can do that we know he has the closing speed and desire to win and he should.

    Here are some of the tidbits from @Ill_HaveAnothers’s twitter account:

    (image)I’ll Have Another&nbsp @Ill_HaveAnother
    We’re headed to @jimmyfallon. Hey Jimmy, coach @IamLavaMan and I would like to request two seats to hold 1,000 pounds #hookahorseup @NBCSN

     

    (image)Hastings Racecourse&nbsp @HastingsRaces
    @Ill_HaveAnother is that tonight or tomorrow night!?

     

    (image) I’ll Have Another
    @Ill_HaveAnother     @HastingsRaces manana. My BFF @Mario_Hastings is teaching me Spanish #purplepower
    1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
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    (image) I’ll Have Another
    @Ill_HaveAnother     Go Kings! #bringthecuptoLA and I will do my best to do the same @Mario_Hastings
    1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
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    (image) I’ll Have Another
    @Ill_HaveAnother     We’re headed to @jimmyfallon. Hey Jimmy, coach @IamLavaMan and I would like to request two seats to hold 1,000 pounds #hookahorseup @NBCSN
    1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
     Reply  ·  Retweet  ·  Favorite

    (image) I’ll Have Another
    @Ill_HaveAnother     I get asked alot what my barn name is, I don’t have one but when I came to the barn I didn’t have much of a tail. So they called me Chewy.
    1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
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    Photo courtesy of Preakness.com and Mike Kane

  • Triple Crown Hopeful May Have Been Drugged

    “I’ll Have Another” may be the first horse since “Affirmed” in 1978 to win the Triple Crown. But right now his trainer, Doug O’Neill, is in the middle of an ongoing controversy surrounding the use of performance enhancing drugs in the horse racing industry.

    O’Neill was suspended last week for for giving a horse performance enhancing drugs by the California Horse Racing Board. “Argenta” tested positive in 2010 for elevated levels of carbon dioxide, which points to the illegal practice of “milkshaking”. This is when the horse is given a combination of bicarbonate soda, sugar and electrolytes to enhance performance.

    He has been cited for drug violations more than a dozen times in multiple states, with the latest violation occurring as early as 2010. There doesn’t seem to be anything stopping him from continuing to give horses performance enhancing drugs. After repeated being found guilty, he continues to deny all allegations.

    According to the New York Times, O’Neill’s horses break down or become injured at a rate that is twice the national average. Along with his dubious record, this statistic points to the fact that O’Neill is repeatedly giving his horses performance enhancements. What would stop him from giving a horse drugs in what is likely the biggest races of his career: The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness? Now, with those won, he has a shot at the Triple Crown.

    The board has already made a ruling to suspend O’Neil. However, the suspension will not come into effect until June 9th, after the Belmont. O’Neill is not allowed to train the horse except under the supervision of a New York Racing Board member, but the fact that he is allowed near the horse at all, has some animal rights organisations up in arms over the judgment.

    People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has asked New York Governor Andrew Coumo to take “special measures” to insure that “I’ll have Another” is safe for race day. Governor Coumo recently took over New York’s poorly managed racing industry by suspending the New York Racing Association and forming a government board to eliminate drug use and protect racer’s safety. PETA thinks his record puts him in a good position to make these changes.

    PETA wants to have “I’ll Have Another” on around-the-clock surveillance during the week leading up to the Belmont Stakes. Although O’Neill, himself, is not allowed around the horse, except under supervision, that does not mean someone working for the camp couldn’t get to the horse in that time frame.

    So far the New York Racing Association has made changes to protect “I’ll Have Another”, although he will not be under around-the-clock surveillance. Instead he will be on lockdown in a secure barn at Belmont’s stables. Any treatments administered to the horse must be run by the board, and O’Neill must submit daily veterinary records for every horse he is training.

    O’Neill has stated that he will comply with these regulations, saying he understands why they are in place.

    If a Triple Crown winner is later found to have been given performance enhancing drugs, it will put a permanent black mark on the industry. If he wins the Belmont in June, let’s hope that the owners and trainers keep their integrity intact.

    [h/t: BusinessInsider]