Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another and Other Horses to Watch

The 2012 Belmont Stakes is about a week-and-a-half away, and I'll Have Another has a unique shot to make history. He is one leg of the Triple Crown away from becoming the first horse to capture the distinction since Affirmed did it in 1978.

But there will be some stiff competition in that quest, and as much as people will be focused on I'll Have Another (and rightfully so), there are other horses in this race to watch.

Here are the top horses to watch at this year's Belmont Stakes.

I'll Have Another

Well, of course he had to make this list. I'll Have Another will be looking to make history when he hits the track at Belmont. Such an event will no doubt bring die-hard fans together with casual ones around the television that Saturday.

I'll Have Another has displayed legendary skills, most notably an incredible ability to close out races having caught Bodemeister down the stretch at the finish line twice already.

It won't take much energy for I'll Have Another to get around the track and in place to make his late-race run like he did in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Jockey Mario Gutierrez has developed a high level of skill in handling his horse and knows exactly how to run I'll Have Another to perfection.

Union Rags

Touted as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Union Rags didn't get out of the gate so well and that doomed him all the way to the finish.

In the end, Union Rags wasn't able to create enough space in time to make a strong enough finish to win. It was a seventh-place disappointment for such a promising horse.

However, with a smaller field than the 20 horses at Churchill Downs, Union Rags will have much less battling to do this time around and could finally show the world why he had so much hype surrounding him before.

Dullahan

With all the fanfare of the Kentucky Derby finish, Dullahan was left in the dust both literally and figuratively.

Dullahan finished a neck behind Bodemeister for third in the Derby as his late surge went largely unnoticed by the majority of people watching.

If there is anyone with the closing speed to beat I'll Have Another, it's Dullahan. He won't have to battle all the traffic he did at Churchill Downs with a smaller crowd this time.

He should be able to run with much less effort to start the race, leaving him with enough energy to turn on the jets for a late run to threaten I'll Have Another.