I'll Have Another: Horse Racing Receives Gigantic Boost Due to Triple Crown Run

I'll Have Another has made horse racing matter again. Thanks to his victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, the excitement level surrounding the sport has reached a level that hasn't been seen for a long time.

It's not just the fact he's won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but also the manner in which he's done it that has provided a huge boost to horse racing.

In both marquee races he was forced to go from behind with a late charge to beat favored Bodemeister. Those thrilling comebacks have made the races must-see television, and that will definitely be the case for the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

Everybody wants to see history. There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since 1978 when Affirmed capped off a run of three Triple Crowns in the span of six years. Back then it would have been tough to believe it would be at least 34 years before the next one.

Since Affirmed pulled off the hat trick of big victories, 11 horses have won the first two legs and proceeded to fail in the Belmont. The third leg is the longest of them all, making it a test of endurance to go along with a tough field.

The extended drought plays a huge role in the popularity boost as well. If it was something that happened all the time, people wouldn't be nearly as interested in tuning in. They would enjoy the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby and then move on to something else.

But since the feat has become so rare, everybody wants to remember where they were just in case I'll Have Another finishes the job. It's impossible to know when another one might happen, so nobody wants to miss it.

That's why it will dominate the sports scene three weeks from now. Despite the myriad of different events going on right now, for one afternoon horse racing will be on center stage, and that just doesn't happen much anymore.

It's a chance for the sport to capitalize on I'll Have Another's success by turning mainstream, casual fans into diehards that watch more than a couple races per year. That wouldn't have been possible without his rally at the Preakness.

Fans from around the globe will tune in to see if I'll Have Another can join the likes of all-time greats such as Secretariat, War Admiral and Seattle Slew or simply fade away like the 11 hopefuls before him that couldn't handle the final leg.

Regardless of the result, the three-year-old colt from Kentucky has provided horse racing with a huge boost when the sport needs it most.