Major Blow To Horse Racing As I'll Have Another Pulled From Belmont

Horse trainer Doug O'Neill on Friday pulled Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another from Saturday's Belmont Stakes, and SI.com's Tim Layden wrote, "It was as if an entire sport had been canceled." Layden: "Late Friday morning the 144th running of the Belmont loomed as the most significant sporting event on one of the busiest weekends of the year. ... Instead, the event is meaningless, except to the very small community of breeders and bettors who will still pay attention" (SI.com, 6/8).

The Marketing Arm Senior VP Bill Glenn wrote on his Twitter feed, "Those hurt most by #IllHaveAnother scratch are brands that decided to advertise after the #Preakness & absent a rating guarantee." BCKSTGR VP/Experiences Andrew Fine tweeted, "Horrible break for NBC Sports and horse racing in general. Banner day goes up in smoke. Given the stakes, it must be the right move." The Indianapolis Star's Michael Pointer: "Now, the Belmont is just another graded stakes race ... and NBC executives are screaming."