Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another Winning Wouldn't Save Horse Racing

I'll Have Another will not revive horse racing's dying popularity, even with a victory in the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

Horse racing is an afterthought for most casual sports fans. Despite its unique culture, horse racing will not be saved.

I'll Have Another will attempt to win horse racing's Triple Crown for the first time since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978. You would think this rare feat would increase popularity, wouldn't you?

According to AOL SportingNews, that is not the case. The article cites a 5.6 overnight Nielsen rating for this year's Preakness, down 11 percent from last year's race. With I'll Have Another's Triple-Crown hopes on the line at the Belmont Stakes, that number should increase.

But it will never be consistently on the rise. Horse racing is doomed to be a forgotten skill among an over-saturated sport culture.

I'll Have Another has a chance to join an elite class with a Belmont Stakes victory, but the attempt to resurrect horse racing's appeal is a futile cause.

This is why.

Poor Network Placement

According to AOL SportingNews, ABC drew a 9.0 rating when Big Brown made his Triple-Crown run in 2008. That number pummels NBC's 4.3 benchmark that year.

So, why doesn't ABC carry exclusive Triple-Crown coverage?

Since I am not part of network television's inner circle, I don't have a definitive answer to that question. Money, rights and contract-type issues are more than likely the source of the issue.

ABC televised the Belmont Stakes from 2006 to 2010. Their ratings were consistently better, probably because Belmont is the Triple Crown's final leg.

Horse racing needs all the promotion it can get. ABC's alignment with ESPN and their extensive sports coverage are more equipped to market horse racing's encouraging elements.

Why Popularity is Beyond Repair

Horse racing has nothing going that could permanently revive its popularity, not even a Triple Crown winning horse.

Sure, the ratings for this year's Belmont will be uncharacteristically high. Even casual sports fans will tune in to witness history. People gravitate to any event of the sort. 

But what about next year, and the year after that?

I'll Have Another's victory would provide lightning in a bottle for horse racing's promoters. Ratings would skyrocket for a short period of time and every media outlet would be flooded with stories covering every conceivable angle.

That all would end the second the 2013 Kentucky Derby approaches. The observers of this year's Belmont will not tune in to next year's Kentucky Derby because there isn't a horse competing for anything substantial.

Horse racing is going to have to settle for one popular race a year, if they are lucky. Certain fans already covet the sport, but new fans will always be tough to come by.

I'll Have Another will create a buzz with a victory at Belmont, but that buzz will fade as quickly as it arrived.

That's the sad truth.