NYRA noses in on I'll Have Another

When I'll Have Another bids for the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes on June 9, he will not be allowed to wear the Flair equine nasal strips he wore in all four victories this year, including the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

According to Dr. Ted Hill, the Jockey Club steward at the NYRA tracks, studies have shown that equine nasal strips can be performance-enhancing by reducing fatigue and possibly preventing bleeding, claims the company makes on its website, flairstrips.com.

If that is the case, Hill said, then how do you regulate them? For example, what if it is raining and the nasal strip comes off in the post parade?

"Do you scratch him?" Hill asked. "Does he run for purse money only?"

Flair is not shy about taking credit for I'll Have Another's success. The company posts updates of his progress on its website.