Preakness 2012: Why I'll Have Another Hasn't Passed Toughest Test

After I'll Have Another made his second dramatic comeback in less than a month, but his Triple Crown hopes appeared to be at an all-time high. 

Not so fast. 

Doug O'Neill's horse may seem invincible after his win at Pimlico, but his toughest test is still in front of him. 

I'll Have Another, who is clearly a terrific closer, won't struggle with the Belmont track, which is the longest of the three main races, but he will struggle with the surrounding competition, not to mention the added pressure on Mario Gutierrez. 

Let's take a look at what horses are primed to knock off I'll Have Another

Union Rags

Union Rags' last two races at the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby have been incredibly disappointing, but those have been strictly results off his post position.

He continually has been forced to start near the inside, and as a result, is getting bogged down at the beginning. At Churchill Downs, Union Rags' poor start had him in 19th for a large majority of the race, but he still managed to move up to seventh in the final stretch.

This horse is a closer. If he gets a solid post position and gets off to a better start, he will give I'll Have Another tons of trouble. 

Dullahan

If you don't remember what happened at the Kentucky Derby, take a quick look:

Dullahan was the horse making the impressive charge to third place in the final stretch, the same horse that would have passed I'll Have Another if there was another furlong.

Well, in New York, there will be an extra furlong for Dullahan to make a push against I'll Have Another. 

In his first two victories, I'll Have Another has been forced to beat sprinters in the final stretch. At Belmont, he's going to have deal with fellow closers. 

Other contenders

At Pimlico, I'll Have Another had to beat Bodemeister and Creative Cause. Those were really the only threats.

At Belmont, he will have tons of other horses to worry about.

In addition to Union Rags and Dullahan, horses such as Alpha and Optimizer will return from the Derby to take a shot at stopping history. 

I'll Have Another is clearly the best horse in the field, and his pairing with Mario Gutierrez is picture-perfect, just don't expect things to get any easier for the duo. 

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