I'll Have Another: Why Derby Winner Has Become Preakness's Greatest Bet

He entered the Kentucky Derby as a fairly anonymous 15/1 shot, but I'll Have Another shocked the rest of the field by making a late charge and overtaking Bodemeister, who was the favored horse and had set a blistering pace to start the race.

Few people are giving the colt, trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, a real chance to beat Bodemeister again and win the second leg of the Triple Crown. There is reason, however, to believe that I'll Have Another can turn the trick.

He enters the race as the No. 2 favorite behind Bodemeister in terms of the betting lines according to preakness.com, but Bodemeister is a prohibitive favorite, to say the least. Most are giving the Bob Baffert-trained Bodemeister a pass for losing the lead late in the Kentucky Derby because he had never run 10 furlongs before.

The Preakness is slightly shorter at 9.5 furlongs, but I'll Have Another passed Bodemeister well earlier than 9.5 furlongs during the Kentucky Derby. Bodemeister is a horse that likes to get to the front quickly and stay there, but that may not be the best strategy when it comes to winning a longer, high-stakes race like the Derby or the Preakness.

I'll Have Another obviously has great late burst, and that seems to be the best asset to have in horse racing today. The biggest reason why I'll Have Another is a strong bet for the Preakness, though, is because he is being written off by most prognosticators for no good reason.

I'll Have Another wasn't highly touted entering the Kentucky Derby like Bodemeister and Union Rags were, and because of that he isn't viewed as being "Triple Crown material." It's certainly possible that the experts were wrong about I'll Have Another, though, so I don't believe preconceived notions from prior to the Kentucky Derby should play a role.

Now, perhaps more than ever, any horse can truly win a significant race, so it's easy to understand why some may be reluctant to put their hard-earned money on I'll Have Another. Longer shots routinely come out on top and I'll Have Another was a great example of that in the Kentucky Derby.

With that said, though, he has already proven that he can get the job done on the big stage, and that should count for something.

If you take another horse, then you're essentially gambling on the unknown, but if you take I'll Have Another, you can rest assured that you made a decision based upon what you already know for sure.

Perhaps I'll Have Another isn't Triple Crown material as many have suggested, but he already beat the horse who is favored over him in the Preakness, so who's to say he can't do it again?