Rumours are that the horse has suffered a tendon injury and his racing career is over: http://www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/o-neill-i-ll-have-another-is-officially-out-of-the-belmont/
A real shame as this was a big deal for US Racing. Was looking forward to catching a replay of the race.
Very unlucky, saw the breaking news in earlier, would of been nice to get it done, all the best to the horse.
Terrible shame. It also emphasises the point that these horses must be enjoyed whilst they are still around. Good things come to an end all too quickly.
Funny how he picks up an injury, the day after he gets drawn 11 of 12. Off to stud he goes with his reputation in tact. Just seen the race, and another shocking ride from Mike Smith allowing Union Rags up his inside. I don't watch alot of US racing but everytime I do this guy is always making big errors, I just don't understand how he gets so many good rides
Funny how the injury only comes to light after the draw is made, I bet he'd have run had he been drawn low.* He won the other 2 legs well, but I wouldn't say he had loads in hand. Could he have really overcome travelling atleast 3 wide over 12f?* I don't believe he could have, and im sure connections must have felt the same, so it made financial sense to retire him.* The same as it made financial sense to create a phantom injury with Canford Cliffs last year. I'm not saying all my conspiracy theories are accurate, though im convinced some*of them are. Don't kid yourself into thinking this sort of stuff doesn't go on. There's big money to be made in the breeding barns, alot more than there is to be made racing, and at the end of the day money talks *
I think it's a bit heartless to say things like that if a horse has suffered an injury. But, if I'm honest Shergar, the same thing did cross my mind. However, if it is genuine, the connections must be devastated and would be terribly upset by accusations like that. Of course, in a crooked world (and America is a crooked world as far as horse racing goes) it wouldn't be beyond some owners to pay a vet to sign an injury report. If it is genuine I guess the owners will have a massive insurance claim. If they don't that would make it smell a bit.
Fair point Ron, maybe I shouldn't have put my point across the way I did, as it could well have been a genuine injury.* These high profile injuries, which result in horses being packed off to stud, are all to common for me.* Harbinger romps home at Ascot by 10 lengths smashing the course record, showing form he has never even threatened to show before, almost 20 pounds improvement on ratings. Then he picks up an injury.* Pour Moi scrapes home in the Derby, in a bunched finish, in what has turned out to be a very poor renewal of the Derby. Then he picks up an injury.* The best horse Richard Hannon has ever trained, Canford Cliffs, gets hammered by Frankel, and connections claim he picked an *injury during the race, a week afterwards. He did hang across the track, but when he's been put under serious pressure before in the Greenham against Dick Turpin he hung across the track.* So we all believe all these are genuine injury's, do we?* There may be 1 or 2 that are genuine, but it's a case of the boy who cried wolf with me *
Pour Moi scrapes home did you watch the same race as me mate ? dead last turning in - putting his head all over Barzalona had to pull him out twice. Celebrated well before the line -was a class win and he was worthy of more than the winning distance suggests.
Shergar, these theories are ridiculous but I suggest you have a look to see where I'll Have Another was drawn in the previous two legs. Kentucky Derby - Drawn 19 of 20 Preakness - Drawn 9 of 11 Belmont - Drawn 11 of 12 I doubt very much they were too worried about the draw.
RV.....Pour Moi stayed on past a load of tired horses, he did not quicken past them. Had there been anything half decent in that Derby they would have been long gone by the time that plodder arrived on the scene, to pick up the scraps.* Please name me 1 top class horse Pour Moi beat that day? *
They didn't really have much to lose on those races though Zen, as the horse wasn't worth anywhere near what it is now. He was a doubtful stayer, and he would of had to travel wide, sounds like a big ask to me *
Shergar please point out where I am saying Pour Moi was a great horse my good friend ? I am just saying he didn't scrape home at all - far from it. wonder if Camelot can do what your plodder namesake couldn't in the leger ?
There's an interesting debate on the old 606 leading up to that KG Shergar. Some people ridiculed Harbinger's chances because he'd never won a G1 whereas a few of us took notice of the more relevant signs and felt he had a good chance of winning. Not that we expected him to annihilate them the way he did though. For me that was one of the most breath taking performances I have ever seen.
Come off it Shergar. These theories are ludicrous. I'll Have Another had nothing to lose in the Belmont either. Would a loss have detracted from his achievements? Not at all. No doubt you are expecting Frankel to pick up an injury before the Juddmonte, Black Caviar before the Diamond Jubilee, Camelot before the Leger etc.
They could have used excuses if I'll Have Another had flopped in the Belmont anyway - the draw, the distance, running three hard races in just over a month etc - it's silly to think his whole reputation was on the line in this race. This is just one of those infuriating things racing throws up sometimes.
