Doug O’Neill trains Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another, who bids to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 when he runs in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. This week, O’Neill shares his thoughts with Post readers. As told to Ed Fountaine.
I’ll Have Another continued with his great energy and great stride when he galloped yesterday morning. I was very happy with the way he looked. That’s the way he trains every day.
The main thing is keeping him happy. It’s exactly what we did at Churchill before the Derby and exactly what we did at Pimlico.
It was so cool to see all the people in the paddock and in the grandstand for “Breakfast at Belmont.’’ You can start feeling the excitement that the Belmont Stakes is coming. It’s a huge credit to the New York Racing Association, closing the track for 15 minutes to the rest of the horses here, letting people come out and see some of the Belmont runners.
I’m hoping to move I’ll Have Another into the stakes barn today after we’re done training and he cools out, but I’m at the mercy of whenever they tell me it’s ready. We’ll make sure it’s safe and clean before we go over.
I’ve actually been looking forward to running him in a situation where you’re in a fish bowl, and everyone who has thought negative things about me realizes it’s not about me, it’s about the horse.
The media who have been here around a lot, I think they’ll agree we’ve got a great crew and the horses are really well cared for.
From my standpoint, the articles I’ve read that are negative, 100 percent of them are written by people who, A, don’t know me, and B, never have been to the barn. They’re taking little bits and pieces and putting their own spin to them.
It’s sad and it’s hurtful. But I know what a good team we have. I know we do a good job. Now everyone can watch I’ll Have Another leading up to an historical event — and hopefully watch him kick butt in a fish bowl.