The 2012 Belmont Stakes is getting plenty of attention with I'll Have Another's Triple Crown title hanging in the balance, and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board has taken additional steps to make sure the race is a clean one. That doesn't mean the race will be short on controversy. A strict drug enforcement policy has spawned a rule requiring all participating horses to spend the final three days before the running of the Belmont Stakes in a so-called detention barn.
Dale Romans, Dullahan's trainer, thinks the New York Racing Association has gone too far with the ruling:
"[The New York State Racing and Wagering Board] thinks we're all crooks," said Romans. "[Horses] are not cars that you can just go and move from one garage to the next.
In other news, the New York Racing Association announced Belmont runners will receive an exclusive training window from 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. ET in addition to the regular training times as of Friday, after I'll Have Another nearly got clipped by a loose horse on Thursday.
For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.