Preakness 2012 Results: Photo Finish Cements Horse Racing's Unique Charm

After one of the wildest races in the history of the Preakness Stakes, the photo finish between eventual winner I’ll Have Another and perpetual second-place finisher Bodemeister proved once again that the allure of horse racing is still there.

Not only did I’ll Have Another get all the fans in attendance to their feet, every fan at home that was watching this event couldn’t help but be enthralled by the chase down the backstretch.

As a fan of sports, if you didn’t feel any emotion as those mammoth creatures barreled towards that finish line neck and neck, you aren’t a true sports fan. For those that did enjoy it, the shared feeling by most was expressed best by the winning horse’s trainer.

I’ll Have Another’s team leader Doug O'Neill told the Associated Press about the win:

"

We're thinking Triple Crown, baby. He's a special horse. We'll see how he comes out of it, and if he comes out of it in good shape, we're heading to New York, baby.

"

As soon as the final picture was shown on the screen that confirmed I’ll Have Another did indeed win the race, the excitement over a possible Triple Crown winner enveloped the entire horse racing world.

Not since Affirmed in 1978 have we seen a Triple Crown winner, but this is the kind of horse that can win at all costs. With the news that Bodemeister will not run the Belmont Stakes, the excitement over the very real possibility has started to set in.

Winning owner Paul Reddam told the Associated Press about the Preakness finish and how the Belmont’s betting odds may be different:

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He showed he's the real deal. He's a real race horse. He gutted it out The other horse was not stopping. He ran a bang-up race, to come and catch him. How can you criticize that? For those who have followed the horse and bet on him, that's been pretty rewarding. I don't know if that will be the case next time, though.

"

The point of what Reddam is saying is that I’ll Have Another will not be sneaking up on anyone at the Belmont Stakes. If he wants to win, his jockey and the horse have to put together a perfect run to beat the plethora of horse that will be looking to stop the chase of the Triple Crown.

After another wild race, the question of whether or not the sport of horse racing had anything to offer the younger generation has been emphatically answered.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Check back for more on Horse Racing as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Horse Racing Page to get your fill of all things from the ponies.

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