Triple Crown dream dies as I’ll Have Another pulled from Belmont Stakes
I’ll Have Another, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, will not run in Saturday’s 144th Belmont Stakes, trainer Doug O’Neill announced on Friday, ending the colt’s bid for a US Triple Crown sweep.
The chestnut horse was made a 4-5 favourite on Wednesday but O’Neill chose to scratch him from the race after a morning workout, ending I’ll Have Another’s chance of becoming the 12th horse to win all three flat races in the same year.
Not since Affirmed in 1978 has a horse completed the triple sweep, with 11 hopefuls in the 34 years since then thwarted by failure at the Belmont, the longest of the three races at 1 1/2 miles. (Photos: David J. Phillip/AP Photo; Al Bello/Getty Images)
