Union Rags: Why Horse's Belmont Win Was Disappointing

Union Rags' win at the Belmont Stakes was impressive, but in the end it left us with more questions and ultimately disappointment.

The race itself was unquestionably exciting. Although Union Rags came into the race as one of the favorites, the come-from-behind victory had a nice underdog feel to it that ended up being a highly entertaining race to watch. However, the ghost of I'll Have Another's Triple Crown bid still loomed over the race.

Just think—the race was excellent as it happened, but what if I'll Have Another had been in the mix with Poynter and Union Rags down the stretch? With I'll Have Another making his customary late push, would Union Rags have been able to go from fifth to first? We'll never know, and that's disappointing.

As the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont is a race that needs to answer more questions than it creates. Union Rags' impressive showing certainly doesn't do that.

The questions don't stop with what could have been with I'll Have Another, either. Union Rags may have won the race but what he really did was tease us with his potential.

Union Rags came into the Derby at 5/1 odds and appeared to be poised to have a solid showing in the Triple Crown races.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the full potential of the horse as he got off to a slow start that left him boxed in by the massive field at Churchill Downs. He was able to rally to seventh but was too far behind to make any real push for the lead.

With the hopes of a Triple Crown dashed, Union Rags' management set its sights on the Belmont and we didn't even get to see what the horse had to offer at the Preakness.

Then came the Belmont. Union Rags' comeback victory was nothing short of incredible and above all else, he showed the kind of heart that makes a championship-caliber horse.

His will to win as he slowly closed the gap with Poynter and eventually passed him along the rail impressed us and showed us that he was worthy of the hype.

It also left us with another "what if" to go with I'll Have Another's unfortunate retirement—did Union Rags really live up to his potential?