Belmont Stakes 2012: Watered-Down Field Gives I'll Have Another Tremendous Edge

The hard part is over for Triple Crown wannabe I’ll Have Another.

Bodemeister and Union Rags were supposed to win the Kentucky Derby. But the 14-1 odds meant nothing to I’ll Have Another in the convincing win.

Then we were told that I’ll Have Another couldn’t keep up with some of the speedy horses on the shortest track of the Triple Crown at the Preakness. This wasn’t his forte.

A photo finish win later, and I’m beginning to wonder if anything can slow down the three-year-old colt at the Belmont Stakes.

With Bodemeister officially out of the race, there are only a few mild threats to ensure the first Triple Crown winner since 1978 is stopped.

With the longest track of the Triple Crown stretch to go (1.5 miles), I’ll Have Another’s long, smooth strides will be on full display. Jockey Mario Gutierrez has shown some serious chemistry with his horse—something most of the Belmont field can’t claim.

Like Union Rags for example.

One of the more talked about horses going into the Derby, Union Rags (6-1) got caught up in traffic and ended up settling for a disappointing seventh-place finish. Trainer Michael Matz believed the jockey might be the problem, so he replaced Julien Leparoux with John Velazquez to see if that was the main culprit for the Churchill Downs woes.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the lack of riding time these two have had, and it remains to be seen if the ultra-talented Velazquez can learn his new colt on the fly.

Aside from Union Rags, Dullahan (5-1) is a contender as well. While Dullahan may be fresh, can he compete at a high level on a track that isn’t synthetic or turf? Nobody knows that answer right now. Paynter is Bob Baffert bred, but has almost zero experience and will be a complete wild card.

With six of the horses sporting odds of 30-to-1 or worse, there are few top-tier talents riding on tomorrow’s 12-horse race.  

With the long course, a jockey making all of the right moves, and a noticeably watered-down field, for the first time in 34 years we are going to witness one of the rarest events all across the sports landscape: A Triple Crown.

(Odds courtesy of VegasInsider.com)

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