But Doug ONeill is far from the only trainer in Saturdays Belmont Stakes with a history of improperly medicated horses. The Associated Press reviewed the histories of all 11 trainers with horses in the race and found that 10 had at least one violation of medication regulations set by state racing boards.
ONeill has been under the most scrutiny because his colt, Ill Have Another, won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and is the 4-5 favorite to add the Belmont and complete the first Triple Crown in 34 years.
We had the black cloud before he won the Derby, D. Wayne Lukas, the elder statesman among trainers, said of horse racings drug problems. Now its just gotten darker.
Lukas, who will run 20-1 Optimizer in the Belmont, didnt mention his own record. He has had almost as many violations as ONeill, though spanning a longer career with a larger stable and including none in the last 13 years.
Thats something Penny Chenery, the doyenne of the sport and owner of the great Triple Crown champion Secretariat, apparently didnt realize when she told The Atlantic magazine that Ill Have Anothers owner, J. Paul Reddam,should be embarrassed that the trainer he has chosen does not have a clean record.