Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another's Loss Would Be Bad for Horse Racing

Now that I'll Have Another has shocked the thoroughbred racing world and won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, it would be a terrible turn for horse racing if the 3-year-old colt is unable to complete the trifecta and cement himself in horse racing lore forever.

Horse racing fans have been deprived of a Triple Crown since 1978, and for the feat to be postponed for yet another year would be too detrimental to the sport. Long gone are the times of family fun days at the race track. They have given way to the lonely gambler at the off-track betting site.

Should I'll Have Another follow through on the last leg of his improbable Triple Crown run, it will bring back the excitement that Affirmed gave us nearly 35 years ago.

If I'll Have Another doesn't win at the Belmont Stakes, we won't see many more opportunities for a horse to win a Triple Crown. Trainers are becoming more apt to put in fresh horses for each race and take care of their horses more than ever, kind of like the coddling that young pitchers receive in baseball due to their high pitch count.

What some people don't realize is that this is what these horses are born to do. They're obviously not born to run in front of a grandstand for prize money, but they're born to run. That's what we want to see them do.

Even just the words "Triple Crown" excite the most casual of horse racing fans, but most don't truly believe that it will happen. We saw Big Brown, Smarty Jones and War Emblem all fall short at the Belmont after winning the first two races. The same thing happened to Silver Charm, Real Quiet and Charismatic from 1997-1999.

It would make horse racing look bad if after winning twice in such ridiculous, exciting fashion, the horse then put out a stinker at the Belmont. Is there anybody out there really pulling for Dullahan or Union Rags to upset I'll Have Another (except Bob Baffert)?

Now that trainer Doug O'Neill has been accused of "milkshaking," wouldn't it look bad for I'll Have Another to lose the race right after O'Neill started getting questioned? It would look like he stopped giving the horse the mixture of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes. Talk about a loss of credibility for the sport.

I'll Have Another has quickly gone from underdog to fan favorite and odds favorite, and it would only be fitting for him to pull off another victory at the Belmont and wrap up the Triple Crown.