I'll Have Another Injury: End of Triple Crown Hopes Damages Horse Racing

I'll Have Another's Triple Crown dreams are dashed, according to Yahoo! Sports Radio personality Brian Beckner.

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SOURCE: I'll Have Another has a torn tendon and will be retired. @1000Steps @TheBigLead

— Brian B. (@BrianBeckner) June 8, 2012"

In one fell swoop, horse racing's most invigorating moment was taken away. This injury doesn't just damage an exciting colt's future, but it injures horse racing in general.

A Triple Crown has not been achieved since Affirmed won the honor in 1978. Since that time, no horse has been able to traverse the dangerous depths of all three races. Enduring the hype of the Kentucky Derby, the breakneck pace of the Preakness and the marathon-like lengths of the Belmont Stakes is nearly impossible.

I'll Have Another had a chance to pull off the improbable. That's the main reason people were going to watch this year's running of the Belmont.

Big Brown was the last horse to come this close. In 2008, ABC's airing of the Belmont Stakes pulled a 9.0 in the Nielsen ratings, according to Sportingnews.com. This year's ratings could have been higher given the unlikelihood of I'll Have Another's two-race run.

Coming into the Kentucky Derby, I'll Have Another was considered an afterthought. He was rated well behind Bodemeister and Union Rags entering Churchill Downs. But he shocked the world with an epic stretch, chasing down Bodemeister in the race's closing lengths.

Instead of backing down from the challenge, he did the same thing to Bodemeister in the Preakness. He needed every inch, but he pulled off the victory in an instant classic.

Because of all this, casual sports fans are tuning in. Even people who've never watched a sporting event in their lives are aware of the Belmont Stakes and its importance this year.

This injury damages horse racing because it exists on the fringe of the modern sports universe. It has a specific niche, but it will never have widespread popularity.

A Triple Crown achievement is the only must-see television horse racing has to offer.

This year's finale was highly anticipated.

The Belmont Stakes could have been historically significant. Now, it's just another race.