I'll Have Another: Horses That Preakness Winner Should Be Weary of at Belmont

I'll Have Another will have horse racing's first Triple Crown in over three decades if he can hold off the rest of the field one last time in June at the 2012 Belmont Stakes in New York.

But not so fast. The Belmont has proved to be the fatal leg of the Triple Crown for even the most talented of racehorses over the past 33 years. Since 1979, 11 horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and all 11 have fallen short in the 1.5-mile long Belmont Stakes. 

Here we are again. Is history poised to repeat itself?

The 2012 Kentucky Derby winner added the Preakness Stakes to his list of wins on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The sensational, narrow win made I'll Have Another just the fourth horse in the past 10 years to win the Triple Crown's first two legs. Big Brown in 2008 was the last horse to do it; he finished dead last at Belmont, though, after suffering a crack in his hoof leading up to the race.

Despite the odds working against him, I'll Have Another is already two-thirds of the way to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. With that being said, let's take a look at two thoroughbreds potentially standing in the way of history.

Union Rags

Despite entering the posts at the 2012 Kentucky Derby as a favorite, Union Rags finished seventh at Churchill Downs and never truly challenged for the race. Union Rags' Derby performance came a little more than a month after his disappointing finish at the Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, where he finished third behind Take Charge Indy and Reveron. 

Before his underwhelming outings at the Kentucky and Florida Derby, Union Rags raced in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, only to finish second to Hansen, who would also run a poor race at the Run for the Roses.

Though the 1.25-mile Kentucky Derby appeared too much for Union Rags, he likely has potential yet to be reached. 

Dullahan

Unlike Union Rags, Dullahan ran a strong race at the 2012 Kentucky Derby, showing in third. Before the Triple Crown's first leg, Dullahan had an impressive outing at the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass last April, winning ahead of Hansen and Gung Ho. 

Dullahan finished fourth in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last fall, behind Hansen, Union Rags and Creative Cause. He was expected to challenge for the win at Churchill Downs, but couldn't overcome I'll Have Another or Bodemeister on the final stretch. Perhaps the 1.5-mile track at Belmont Park will provide the colt with enough dirt to outpace the favorites. 

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