My local NPR station, WHYY for those of you in the Philly area, had a fabulous interview this morning with Dick Jeradi, columnist for the Daily News and Walt Bogdanitch, author of the recent series in the NY Times about horse racing. If you want to listen to a podcast, click here and then scroll through the archives for June 7, hour 1.
What was especially interesting to me was the fact that both of these writers, although fully aware of the situation in horse racing, especially the dicey past of trainer Doug O'Neill (he trains I'll Have Another who could win the Triple Crown on Saturday), they both plan on watching the Belmont as well as other horse races. When asked if knowing all they knew could they still watch, they both said yes, they loved the sport.
Which is about where I am. I would love to see another Triple Crown winner but I am totally ambivalent about this particular contender. I do not like the background of either the trainer or the owner (Paul Reddam, who is rumored to have a few shady business dealings) but you cannot hold that against the horse. This is a legit horse and the moral of the story may just be if the horse has the talent to win the Triple Crown, training may be irrelevant.
As for the gods of the sport--well if they have any sense of ethics, I'll Have Another will be upset. But given where the sport is these days, ethics may also be irrelevant. We'll just have to wait and see and yes, you know I will be watching.
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