I'll Have Another Belmont: Win Would Make Horse Bigger Star Than Secretariat

All eyes will be on I’ll Have Another during the final race of the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes this Saturday.

The winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness is attempting to be the 12th Triple Crown winner in the history of thoroughbred horse racing and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

Given I’ll Have Another’s flair and resilience, the horse is often compared to the consensus greatest racing horse ever, Secretariat.

While Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown victory was the most impressive feat in horse racing to this day, a win at the Belmont will have I’ll Have Another as the sport’s biggest star.

Secretariat was incredible in 1973. With Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, the duo won the Kentucky Derby by two-and-a-half lengths, the Preakness by two-and-a-half lengths and the Belmont Stakes by a ridiculous 31 lengths.

He set records at the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes that still stand to this day at 1:54.40 and 2:24.00, respectively.

In his 21-race career, Secretariat placed all but once. He finished fourth in his first race in 1972 at the Aqueduct Racetrack.

Despite these incredible numbers, I’ll Have Another is still in a position to supplant Secretariat as horse racing’s biggest icon.

I’ll Have Another was considered only second tier until his success at the Kentucky Derby. The thoroughbred owned by Reddam’s Racing is now the favorite at the Belmont with 4-5 odds.

A horse known for his relaxed temperament, I'll Have Another and jockey Mario Gutierrez could be riding into glory on the Belmont’s long track.

The Triple Crown campaign rookie Gutierrez developed an instant bond with the horse and is poised to lock up a win at the Belmont.

The size of the track will be difficult, but I’ll Have Another has overcome adversity before and should have the other horses on their heels come Saturday.

With a win at the Belmont, I’ll Have Another becomes bigger than Secretariat because of the era in which it takes place.

In the 21st century of mass media and sports hyper-competition, I’ll Have Another will be racing with a target on his back. Eleven other jockeys will have their horses scrambling to end I’ll Have Another’s Triple Crown run.

Recently, the favorites at Belmont have had difficulty living up to the hype.

Not since 2007 has the favorite done well. Last year’s favorite, Animal Kingdom, finished sixth, while favorite Ice Box finished eighth in 2010.

Still, I’ll Have Another has taken down some of the best competition in recent memory.

With incredible stamina and sprints, I’ll Have Another has come back and beaten dominant horses like Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Without Bodemeister in the Belmont, I’ll Have Another will have some relief. Nevertheless, the competition in this year’s race is very top-heavy.

I’ll Have Another’s mettle will be put to the test against Union Rags (6-1), Dullahan (5-1) and Paynter (8-1).

While other horses like Ravelo’s Boy and Five Sixteen are being dismissed, a rogue underdog could steal the show and take down I’ll Have Another.

This is the era of Facebook, the Twitterverse and mass media, so a Triple Crown win for I’ll Have Another would be unbelievable.

This generation has yet to see a Triple Crown winner, as the lore of Secretariat’s greatness defines horse racing to this day.

Despite all of Secretariat’s dominance as the classic paradigm for perfection in thoroughbred horse racing, a win at the Belmont Stakes and the first Triple Crown in 34 years is enough to put I’ll Have Another in a class all on his own.