** For video of Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another galloping Thursday at
**For video of Doug O’Neill’s press conference on Thursday, please visit http://www.belmontstakes.com/multimedia/youtubevideo.aspx?VideoId=52 **
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Contact: NYRA Press Office
(718) 659-2351
- I’ll Have Another evades loose horse, gallops one mile; Team IHA seeking mounts for Mario Gutierrez
- Five Sixteen confirmed for Belmont Stakes
- Pair of NYSS on Sunday’s card attract big fields
Prior to his gallop, Isleta, a 3-year-old maiden from the barn of Carl Domino, unseated her rider and ran off, passing within inches of I’ll Have Another and exercise rider Jonny Garcia.
“Once we dodged that, everything went well,” said O’Neill, who trains I’ll Have Another for J. Paul Reddam. “He jogged great, galloped super. I noticed every day he’s cooling out even quicker. He seems like he loves it here, and he’s really getting used to the oval and getting used to the footing, and I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s going.”
O’Neill discussed plans for Four Better and Unex Dali, who in company breezed four furlongs in 49 1/5 seconds on the
“I really liked the way they both went,” said O’Neill. “They both finished up with good energy and pulled up really well. Hopefully those are good spots for the horses and good spots for Mario to gain some knowledge of the track, even though they’re both on turf.”
O’Neill said Gutierrez will arrive in
“Hopefully for us he’ll have a couple of [additional mounts], other than I’ll Have Another,” said O’Neill. “And with the help of Mark Hennig and Wesley Ward, there’ve been a few other trainers who have offered to give him some chances. His agent, the legendary Ivan Puhich, will be here with him. Ivan has probably been on the phone, hustling some, and we’re hoping to give him 10 mounts before the big race.”
O’Neill lamented withdrawing Reddam’s Boxeur des Rues from the June 8 Grade 2
“I was going to run him in the Brooklyn, but I haven’t really been super happy with the way he has trained the past few days, so I don’t think ‘Boxeur’ is going to run,” said O’Neill. “Somebody said [Gutierrez] might get a mount [in the
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Citing Five Sixteen’s forward progress, Anthony Bonomo, husband of Mary Bonomo of MeB Racing Stables, confirmed the colt for the June 9 Belmont Stakes.
“Five Sixteen is turning out to be a pretty special horse,” said Bonomo, who personally races under the Brooklyn Boyz banner. “He’s named after our son’s [Anthony Bonomo, Jr.’s] birthday. He’s our general manager of both stables. We’re excited about it. [Trainer] Dominick [Schettino] doesn’t have time to be excited, but all the credit to Dominick because he’s the guy who told us six months ago that he was a horse who could run in the
Five Sixteen, who in his two most recent starts won a March 14 maiden race and was fourth in an April 18 allowance at Aqueduct Racetrack, will be the Bonomos’ first starter in the Belmont Stakes.
“We had a horse two years ago named Connie and Michael who finished second in the Mother Goose and was out of the money in the Breeders’ Cup,” said Bonomo. “That’s the closest we’ve been to the big-stake racing. Being in
Five Sixteen’s longshot status hasn’t deterred Bonomo from taking a shot at the
“He’s very lightly raced, so he hasn’t really left a mark but you have to watch out for him,” said Bonomo. “It’s exciting being in a race like that, and it’s exciting for racing in general to have a Triple Crown candidate. I think it’s great for the sport. I look at it this way: the best horse that day will win. If it turns out to be I’ll Have Another, that’s great. If it turns out to be mine, that’s great.”
“That’s even better!” added a Schettino hotwalker.
“That’s even better,” Bonomo agreed. “It’s nice being in the race, especially when there is a Triple Crown on the line.”
Bonomo said Five Sixteen will have one more work, likely over the next few days, prior to the Belmont Stakes.
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In the Cupecoy’s Joy, race 6 on the 10-race card, 4-1 morning-line favorite My Jopia will attempt to remain unbeaten on turf when she leaves from the rail under Ramon Dominguez. In her most recent start, an April 29 six-furlong allowance for New York-breds that served as her turf debut, the daughter of Utopia tracked the pacesetter and took the lead inside the final sixteenth of a mile en route to a one-length victory. Dominick Schettino trains the chestnut for Robert D. Rosenthal and Bernice Waldbaum.
From post 2 out, the field also includes Manero, Mah Jong Maddnes, Gabrilicious, Take It Inside, Destination Moon, Stock Fund, Why Take a Chance, I Bet Toni Knows, Sweet Moon, and Barrel of Joy.
The Spectacular Bid, race 9, attracted the top three finishers of the NYSS Times Square, which was contested at six furlongs on dirt May 6. In the
Suspicious U, Reggie D, Powerful Instinct, Goodtime Boy, Wild Exploit, Disco On, Exciting Missile, Sunnysider, and King Kreesa complete the Spectacular Bid field.
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