Belmont Stakes 2012: How History Would View I'll Have Another's Triple Crown

Any time a feat that hasn't been accomplished in more than three decades gets conquered, it's a historic event. That's what faces I'll Have Another at the Belmont Stakes as the elite horse looks to win the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

When Affirmed won the Belmont, he became the second straight Triple Crown winner and third in a span of six years. So aside from whenever a horse like I'll Have Another gets close to ending the drought, he tends to get overlooked.

That wouldn't be the case for I'll Have Another. A victory would assert him as one of the best horses of the current generation and he would immediately get etched in the minds of an entire group of horse racing fans who have never witnessed a Triple Crown.

Another factor working in his favor when it comes to leaving an imprint on history is the way he's been winning the races. He mounted epic comebacks in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes to reach this point. He'll probably need another one in the Belmont.

If it wasn't for those furious rallies, Bodemeister would be the horse looking to race into the history books. Instead, he's an afterthought and won't even be at the Belmont.

So it's a fine line between leaving a major impression and being forgotten altogether. Since Affirmed won all three marquee races, 11 different horses have faced the same opportunity as I'll Have Another and all of them failed.

Most fans, especially the casual ones who only tune in for the big races, would have a hard time naming more than a few of those. I'll Have Another would fall into the same category if he doesn't win the Belmont.

That said, if he pulls it off, he'll cement his spot among the sport's biggest names. When you consider some of the talented horses that weren't able to win the Triple Crown like Big Brown and Spectacular Bid, it paints a good picture as to how big a win would really be.

I'll Have Another figures to receive a stiff test from Union Rags, Dullahan and Paynter, but it's his race to lose. A victory will earn him a permanent place in the horse racing history books. A loss will make him simply another statistic.

The difference couldn't be any more drastic than that.