Saturday, June 9th will mark the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes. One of horse racing’s premier events, 2012 has special meaning as I’ll Have Another attempts to make racing history be capturing the U.S. Triple Crown. A rarity, it would be a stunning achievement if he were victorious Saturday.
What is the Belmont Stakes? The Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of U.S. horse racing’s Triple Crown. It is open to three year old Thoroughbreds. The race always takes place five weeks after the Kentucky Derby (the first leg of the Triple Crown) and three weeks after the Preakness (the Crown’s second leg). The track is 1.5 miles. The purse for the race is $1 million, $600 thousand of which is awarded to the winner. Why is this years race so special? It has been 34 years since the racing world has seen a Triple Crown Winner. In 1978, Affirmed won the Triple Crown just one year after Seattle Slew did so. In 2008, Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but finished last at Belmont as jockey, Kent Desormeaux, eased up around the final turn citing injury to the horse. Smarty Jones, a heavy favorite to complete the task, finished second in the Belmont Stakes in 2004 as the race’s 1.5 mile track proved too rugged for his pedigree.
What Makes I’ll Have Another so Special? One word can describe I’ll Have Another – grit. Perpetually the underdog, the horse has not been favorite to win in any of his last six races. But he won them all. Additionally, he has a knack of coming from behind to win. He trailed both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before making a late charge to capture each. He is the first horse in history to have won the Kentucky Derby from post position 19.
I’ll Have Another had just one victory in 2011 as a two year old. What Obstacles Will I’ll Have Another Face? What makes the Belmont Stakes so challenging is its distance. It is a twelve furlong (1.5 mile) race as opposed to the Derby which is ten furlongs and the Preakness which is 9.5 furlongs. It is a misnomer among casual race fans that the two to two and a half furlong distance lacks significance. For these elite horses, the extra distance provides striking challenges to endurance and the horse’s overall conditioning.
The race is one of the most unpredictable to handicap given its distance. It has a reputation for producing upsets which is one of the reasons for so few Triple Crown winners (eleven in total) in racing history.
What is in Favor of I’ll Have Another? Twenty horses ran in the Kentucky Derby while eleven ran in the Preakness. Last year, fourteen horses ran in the Belmont Stakes. While eleven isn’t exactly a small field, it is a reasonably sized one for a Triple Crown hopeful.
The most promising development in I’ll Have Another’s pursuit for the Triple Crown may actually be contained in not who the horse is racing against but who he isn’t. Bodemeister has long been thought of as the class of the Triple Crown field but will skip the Belmont Stakes after second place finishes in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Other Horses to Watch Legendary trainer, Bob Baffert, made the decision to hold out Bodemeister in favor of Paynter who has came off an impressive gate-to-wire win on a Preakness undercard. Paynter entered the race a 1-9 favorite. It is important to note, however, that race was just nine furlongs
Union Rags entered the Kentucky Derby at 5-1 odds. Finishing a disappointing seventh, this premier horse is well rested after skipping the Preakness. It would not be shocking if odd makers made him the favorite to win at Belmont.
Logistics Belmont Race Track is located in Belmont, New York approximately thirty minutes east of New York City. Post time is 6:30 p.m. EST. Television coverage will be provide by NBC starting at 5 p.m.
Post positions for the Belmont Stakes will be determined on Wednesday.
Robert Watkins is a sports enthusiast who grew up in Queens minutes from Belmont Race Track in nearby Floral Park, NY. He now resides with his family in GlenMills Pa, a few miles from the home of Smarty Jones.
