But...he doesn't care. He said this "We understand that this is the rule in New York and we’ll follow the rules," O’Neill said. "But it will be a zero issue. He’s a freak. You could put a blindfold on him, and he’ll run his race. This will be his first race without one, but he’ll be fine."

Zero issue. Good enough for me.

So, O'Neill is saying I Have Another wore one in the Hopeful?

I didn't interview him, but it appears so. If I had to bet, he misspoke there. If I cared, I'd look into it. But like O'neill...I don't.

I don't care one way or another either.

Back in the day -- Randy Moss wore those things on his nose some games and other games he didn't.

Still, it would be amusing if I'll Have Another wore one in the Hopeful and no one noticed.

He doesn't appear to be wearing one.

Looking at the replay i don't see a strip. O'neill does't seem to care one way or another.

I remember the nasal strips being a talked about thing in like 1999, and Lukas was a big proponent of them. But I haven't heard much about them since.

I'm more concerned the colt won't have a meaningful work before the Belmont.

The nasal strip wasn't the problem in the hopeful, it was the statue on his back...

I doubt you can blame the jockey for a 19 length defeat...or a nose strip for that matter. Or even the wet race track.

It looked like a classic "non effort" and those type of performances are often associated with a physical issue. Especially when a long layoff comes next.

O'Neill has signs plastered on his stable wall that say "what happens in this stable, stays in this stable" ... so you never know much of anything for sure. I'll Have Another got Shock Wave therapy for his back. Maybe his back was bothering him in the Hopeful ... who knows, but it was such an untrue performance that it most likely was something physical.

So you are implying the reason for not having a work prior to the Belmont is a back issue with IHA? He had some kind of back procedure after the SA Derby.

No.

I don't care that he's not having a workout and I doubt it has anything to do with his back.

All of the published reports from people who have seen him seen in the AM the last few days seem to be positive.

A quick sweep of the PP's of nearly every starter of Doug O'Neill's in the past few years will show a sparse worktab.

His horses will go several weeks without a recorded workout, especially if they are running often, as is the case with this colt.

Arguably, I'll Have Another, with his daily strong 6-7f gallops (the one today was timed in :38 and change for the final 3f), is training harder for the race than those that will have a timed workout or two.

You could be right about the non-effort/physical issue. But take a look at recent PP's of triple crown/stakes runners and look at their worst performances, you will see Frenchy aboard for many of those non-efforts... could be coincidence, although I think not.

IHA was reported by O'neill to have come out of the Hopeful with sore shins. Hence the long layoff..

This is an interesting interview on HRTV with the co-inventor of the Flair nasal strips. Apparently nasal strips are allowed for thoroughbred jockeys in NY.
http://www.hrtv.com/videos/dr-jim-ch...-belmont-park/