Only a few hours after officially announcing that the Triple Crown dreams for horse racing's newest sweetheart I'll Have Another were coming to an end prior to them ever beginning, the horse's trainer Doug O'Neill met with the media on Friday afternoon to explain why the horse was being pulled from the race.
"This has been an incredible ride and incredible run," O'Neill said via a televised press conference on ESPN. "I've taken plenty of mental notes and I know we'll be back here next year."
Of course, I'll Have Another won't be back with them as the horse is being retired from racing. The decision was made early Friday morning when O'Neill and the team took the horse out on a morning gallop. O'Neill expressed that he was impressed with how the horse looked, but was concerned with swelling that the horse had, realized it was tendonitis and the group unanimously decided that I'll Have Another needed to retire.
In retirement, I'll Have Another could bring millions of dollars in stud fees.
For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this Story Stream. You can also check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.