I'll Have Another: 2012 Kentucky Derby Winner Will Struggle at Preakness Stakes

In what will go down as a very ironic twist, 2012 Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another will not be able to repeat his epic performance at the Preakness Stakes.

Despite the name, I'll Have Another will not be able to capture another jewel on his quest for the Triple Crown.

Like I said, it's a very ironic twist.

This is not to take anything away from the Derby-winning horse, his trainer Doug O'Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez or owner J. Paul Reddam. They ran a spectacular race at the Kentucky Derby. However, winning two of the three Triple Crown races is one of the most difficult accomplishments in sports and I'll Have Another didn't necessarily show anything that would lead one to believe that he's capable of pulling that off.

He's a good looking horse, but is he necessarily a great looking horse? I don't think so.

Naturally, his trainer disagrees with that assessment, via Jennie Rees on Courier-Journal.com:

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“It will be interesting to see who else out of (Saturday’s) field goes to the Preakness and if there are any new shooters who are fresh and ready to go and might jump in there,” said trainer Doug O’Neill Sunday morning. “But it’s pretty darn exciting to think about.

“… He’s just a special horse, obviously. I think he has a chance to be something that hasn’t been done in a long time.”

"

I'll Have Another looked very good at the Kentucky Derby, but it was a race designed for him to win.

Right out of the gates Bodemeister and Trinniberg sprinted to the lead and set the pace until about the final turn. With those two speedsters finally burning out, I'll Have Another was able to hit his stride, break away from the pack and overcome the leaders.

It was a beautiful race that he ran perfectly, but the Preakness is going to be much different.

The Preakness is shorter than the Derby, which means those quick out of the gate horses like Bodemeister and Trinniberg are going to have the advantage of getting ahead early and not having to sustain the lead for as long as they did.

Even if those two horses aren't in the race, there will be a fresh crop of horses that will be rested and ready to go, and there will certainly be another speedster or two in the Preakness.

This doesn't bode well for I'll Have Another, who looked much more comfortable holding up in the crowd and then making a final push at the end.

He may be able to be a front-runner early and sustain his energy, but the chances of winning look to be pretty small for I'll Have Another.

There's a reason the triple crown is so hard to attain, and I'll Have Another and his team will find that out first hand at the 2012 Preakness Stakes.