Belmont Stakes 2012: What Bodemeister's Absence Means for I'll Have Another

The 2012 Belmont Stakes feels a little less thrilling now that Bodemeister—the second-place finisher at the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby—is withdrawing from the field.

In both of those Triple Crown races, I’ll Have Another was able to make a late surge down the stretch and steal the glory from Bodemeister.

That was clearly not the desired outcome for Bodemeister, or for his jockey, his trainer and his owners, but it did make for a thrilling spectacle that now has people interested in a sport that was slowly dying out and losing popularity.

According to an ESPN report, Bodemeister’s trainer, Bob Baffert, seemed upset and did not want to spend much time dwelling on why his colt would not be running in the third leg of the Triple Crown.

"I've had enough," Baffert quipped.

Now I’ll Have Another is going to have to find another horse to chase down from behind during the 1-1/2 mile run in Elmont, New York. It’s certainly not going to have the same exact same magic as the previous two races.

Those two horses were natural competitors, and it would have been the sweetest revenge for Bodemeister to steal the first Triple Crown since 1978 away from his nemesis by winning at Belmont.

That would have been a fitting ending to one of the most exhilarating horse racing seasons in recent memory. Instead, we will likely be treated to a subpar race, with less intrigue and drama leading up to the starting gate.

If I’ll Have Another ends up winning the Triple Crown, it will still be an amazing feat, but it will be somewhat sad that Bodemeister wasn’t there to give him a true run for the money.