Belmont Stakes 2012: Horses with Best Shot at Beating I'll Have Another

I'll Have Another is the clear favorite to win the Belmont Stakes, and thus the Triple Crown, but unlike the Preakness Stakes, there are multiple horses who have the ability to crush Doug O'Neill's dreams. 

For the record, I'll Have Another has proven he can do it all. 

He won the Kentucky Derby in a crowded field. He beat Bodemeister, one of the best sprinters we've seen in a while, at Pimlico Race Course, a track more suited for sprinters.

Now he'll take on Belmont, and even though the track is the longest of the three Triple Crown races, I'm not about to bet against this closer. 

Still though, it's important to take a look at the best contenders for an idea of how to fill out your trifecta. 

Dullahan

I'm sure you remember how impressive I'll Have Another was in his comeback win at Churchill, but do you also remember Dullahan was on his way to accomplishing the same feat?

Dullahan was closing with an incredible speed, and while he only finished third, he would have passed Bodemeister and I'll Have Another with another 100 yards or so.

At Belmont, he'll get more than an extra 100 yards to work with; he'll get an extra quarter mile. 

Of course, there's always the chance I'll Have Another, who has proven to be the Mariano Rivera of horses, doesn't make his closing push until later in the race, and thus keeps enough in the tank to hold of Dullahan.

No matter how it shakes out, it will be close. Make sure Dullahan is in your Top Three. 

Union Rags

Poor Union Rags. 

This was one of the up-and-coming horses of the year, but he suffered from a poor post position at both the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

At Churchill, in particular, he started from the fourth post and simply got bottled down before and during the first turn. As a result, he fell all the way back to 19th for a large majority of the race.

However, Union Rags proved to be a solid closer in his own right, still managing to pull back into a respectable seventh-place finish. 

He sat out the Preakness because trainer Michael Matz felt Belmont was the better race for him, and as long as Union Rags gets a good post, Matz will prove correct. 

Paynter 

Most people like Alpha or one of the other Kentucky Derby horses, but watch out for Paynter, who is trained by the legendary Bob Baffert. 

This horse can fly, and back at the Santa Anita Derby, a race in which he finished fourth and I'll Have Another finished first, Paynter was just four lengths off the winner.

Considering he had a pretty bad start to that race, that is an impressive feat. Many people think Paynter will benefit from a longer track, but it's still unknown whether he can hold on for the entire 1 1/2 miles. 

At any rate, Paynter is a terrific horse that has some experience with the big boys and is trained by one of the best. If you're looking for a nice upset pick, Paynter is it. 

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