Preakness 2012: I'll Have Another's Win Proves He's Ready for Greatness

I'll Have Another's epic win at the Preakness showed the world this will be the horse who will end the 34-year run without a Triple Crown winner. 

The results of the Preakness were shockingly similar to the Kentucky Derby, but this was a more impressive win for the champion colt. 

In both races, I'll Have Another used a late charge to overtake Bodemeister just before the finish line. Yet, it was his win in the Preakness that confirmed what the Derby win only hinted at: This is a great horse. 

In the first race, I'll Have Another closed down on a tiring Bodemeister. It was a strong closing kick for I'll Have Another, but Bodemeister was fading. He burst out of the gate, set a blazing pace and started to fade. I'll Have Another passed him, but there was not much distance between him and the rest of the field. 

This left reason to speculate that Bodemeister lost the race more than I'll Have Another won it, and it certainly played into the fact that Bodemeister was favored in the shorter Preakness race. 

At the Preakness, Bodemeister ran a smarter race. He set a slower pace early, and when he got to the home stretch he was not fading. He was beat. I'll Have Another surged past him at the line, and the two horses were comfortably in front of the field. 

This was a great show of speed and competitive drive for I'll Have Another. He doesn't need a top horse like Bodemeister to tire in order to win a race.

Now I'll Have Another is about to enter the longest of the Triple Crown races, on the verge of immortality.

A finishing kick in the Belmont is vital. This race is 1.5 miles, and it favors a horse that knows how to run smart and save his best for last. I'll Have Another has proven that is his strength. He will win this race and go straight into history with the sport's greatest.