Mrs. Chenery comments on O’Neill’s track record and the trainer responds
Trainer Doug O’Neill has been receiving praise over what he has achieved in a short period of time with runner, I’ll Have Another, and in just one month’s time he is on the verge of attaining immortality if the J. Paul Reddam owned colt goes on to win the
Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on 9 June, 2012.
However, including his doings on the track, O’Neill has been banned four times in his career, and currently faces a 45-day suspension starting for 1 July, 2012, and Secretariat’s former owner, Mrs. Chenery has lashed out on O’Neill over his track record.
‘’I think it is regrettable. And it isn’t the horse’s fault and this is probably a very good horse,’’ Chenery said. ‘’I don’t know Mr. Reddam personally, but I think he should be embarrassed that the trainer he has chosen does not have a clean record.’’
Regarding O’Neill’s 45-day suspension, the recent ruling California Horse Racing Board agreed with O’Neill that his horse in 2010 at Del Mar didn’t have an excess level of total carbon dioxide after the race, which means he was innocent of not “milkshaking”
his horse before the race to counter fatigue.
Doug O’Neill responded to Chenery’s comments by saying that it is disappointing because, especially when he has so much respect for the one of the most respected figures in Thoroughbred racing.
‘’It’s disappointing because of how much respect I have for Mrs. Chenery,’’ O’Neill said May 29 from Belmont Park. “I would love to have her hang out with me for a week and would stress to her, ‘Don’t believe everything that is written’.’’
O’Neill still stresses that he abides by the horseracing rules, and never goes against them, but there are times in horseracing where there is some unintentional mishaps which the trainer has to pay dearly for.
He further went on to say that Mrs. Chenery would approve of his trainer if she saw how he trains the Triple Crown hopeful.
Doug O’Neill is currently at Belmont Park training I’ll Have Another for the biggest race of both their careers.
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