LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Doug O'Neill spent all evening celebratingI'll Have Another's victory in the Kentucky Derby, finallyreturning to his hotel room about 2 a.m. Sunday. The party began at the trainer's barn at Churchill Downs, moved toa charity dinner and ended up at a downtown hotel where the colt'sowner, J. Paul Reddam, had reserved the 25th floor for about 100people. As O'Neill walked to his room, he saw dozens of morning newspaperslining the hallway. The bold black headline blared, I'll HaveAnother! with a huge photo of the chestnut colt edging pastBodemeister to win the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths. Whoa, that really was an unbelievable feeling, the trainersaid. That was another stamp that it really happened. O'Neill isn't wasting any time in sending I'll Have Another toMaryland for the second leg of the Triple Crown. The colt will flyfrom Louisville to Baltimore on Monday, making him the earliestarriving Derby winner since Monarchos showed up at Pimlico fourdays after his 2001 win. I'll Have Another is in position to win horse racing's first TripleCrown since 1978 when Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness andBelmont Stakes within a five-week span. I get goose bumps just thinking about it, O'Neill said. Ithink he is the kind of horse who can maintain his form and keep itgoing. I'll Have Another likely will be seeing some of his old rivalsagain in Baltimore. Seven Derby horses might run in the 1 3-16-mile Preakness, led byrunner-up Bodemeister. The other possibilities are Went the DayWell (fourth), Creative Cause (fifth), Liaison (sixth), Union Rags(seventh), Hansen (ninth) and Optimizer (11th). Went the Day Wellsustained a cut on his right front ankle in the Derby, but trainerGraham Motion said it wasn't a problem. Seven new candidates are on tap, too. They are: Pretension and Brimstone Island, the top two finishers inthe Canonero II Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico; Cozzetti; Hierro andPaynter, the top two finishers in the Derby Trial at Churchill;Jerome Stakes winner The Lumber Guy; and Tiger Walk. O'Neill, based at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., lastran a horse in Maryland six years ago when Thor's Echo won theGrade 1 De Francis Memorial Dash on his way to winning an EclipseAward as the nation's top sprinter. Reddam has owned one previousPreakness starter Wilko, who was 12th in 2005. O'Neill plans to briefly return to California before heading backEast this week. He told his young son and daughter that if I'llHave Another won the Derby, the family would get a hot tub. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Turbocharger Nozzle Ring Manufacturer , Bearing Casing, and more. For more , please visit Turbocharger Nozzle Ring today!
Related Articles -
Turbocharger Nozzle Ring Manufacturer, Bearing Casing,
|