With three weeks in between the Preakness and Belmont, the media has plenty of opportunities to put I’ll Have Another’s bid for the Triple Crown under intense study. Most of the scrutiny is targeted at the horse’s trainer, Doug O’Neill, who has a history of doping violations and received a 45-day suspension from California horse racing regulators during the weeks between the second and final leg of the Triple Crown.
Belmont Stakes 2012: Strict Testing, Security Policies Reportedly Aimed At Doug O’Neill
With O’Neill’s questionable history, New York state racing officials are taking extraordinary steps to test and secure his horses prior to the Belmont, according to Joe Drape of The New York Times. Drape and The Times obtained an email that indicates these measures are specifically targeted at O’Neill, and they’re quite rigorous:
Among the requirements for O’Neill, according to a confidential e-mail obtained by The New York Times, are that his horses cannot in any way be treated “without a board investigator present,” and that he should not allow treatment of any of his horses “by mouth or in feed without conferring with a board investigator, who will first log the treatment and discuss the reason(s) for treatment.”
O’Neill must also provide veterinary records for I’ll Have Another and any other horses he may be running over those days at Belmont “no later than 10 a.m.” each day after any treatment.
In addition to the constant monitoring, all the horses will be kept in a single barn with significant security. The horses will be guarded with only a limited number of pre-determined people allowed to visit, and each visit will be logged.
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