Doug O’Neill admits he thinks of winning the Triple Crown with I’ll Have Another
Kentucky Derby winning trainer Doug O’Neill initially said after winning the Derby May 5 with, I’ll Have Another, that he will take one race at a time, but he admitted on 16 May, 2012, that he will not be lying if he and his team aren’t thinking of the possibility
of winning the Triple Crown with I’ll Have Another.
Doug O’Neill said that after watching I’ll Have Another turn in a strong gallop after a day off yesterday in preparation for the Preakness Stakes – which will be run over a distance of 1 3/16 miles.
“It would be fun, but it is one race at a time,” said O’Neill of the possibility that the son of Flower Alleyhttp://www.equineline.com/dotReportProductSelectionDisplay.cfm?horse_name=Flower+Alley&YOB=2002&breed_type=TB&horse_type=I&ASCID=1443262
colt could go on and win the Triple Crown. “We have a great traveling team and we would love to check out New York if we get lucky enough."
The last time a colt who went to Belmont Stakes with the Triple Crown on the line was, Big Brown back in 2008, but Doug O’Neill didn’t rule out the possibility of running the Belmont Stakes on 9 June, 2012, despite what happens at Pimlico Race Course on
19 May.
“It depends on how he runs and how he comes out of it (Preakness),” said O’Neill. “Right now, it’s like he’s ready to run a couple (of races) here in the upcoming weeks, so we’ll see what happens.”
J. Paul Reddam’s I’ll Have Another is yet be defeated by any of his magnificent crop in three races this season.
Bred in Kentucky by Harvey A. Clarke, I’ll Have Another could muster up a victory, a second place finish and sixth place finish in his juvenile season, but as a sophomore he has been perfect thus far.
Winning the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes in his seasonal debut was the first of a streak of three, where he defeated Empire Way in second and Rousing Sermon in third.
A lot depended on his next start, and with the Kentucky Derby on the line, I’ll Have Another dominated the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, and made it this far by staying undefeated.
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