Preakness 2012: Pimlico Win Ensures I'll Have Another Will Take Triple Crown

I'll Have Another might as well be given the title of Triple Crown winner at this point.

The 2012 Preakness Stakes was the leg of this year's Triple Crown that determined whether the horse could pull the hat trick of horse racing.

After winning in Kentucky, I'll Have Another still wasn't the favorite at Pimlico over Bodemeister. Well, jockey Mario Gutierrez rode to stardom and all that remains is the Belmont Stakes.

To that end, let's see why I'll Have Another will take the first Triple Crown since 1978.

 

Lack of Competition

 

Looking at the current list of potential Belmont Stakes competitors, Bodemeister and Creative Cause are absent. Those two were I'll Have Another's biggest competition at Churchill Downs and the Preakness, as each finished in the top five behind him.

Optimizer remains (at least right now) as a racer from the first two legs, but finished eleventh at Churchill Downs and sixth at Pimlico. So despite being a familiar face, Optimizer hasn't been a challenge to I'll Have Another at this stage.

Now, there are multiple horses that raced in Kentucky who were not at the Preakness but are on that Belmont list. Dullahan, Union Rags and Rousing Sermon finished third, seventh and eighth respectively at the derby so they are the toughest of contenders.

Still, none of these mentioned horses are on the level of Bodemeister. Therefore, if I'll Have Another fails to complete the cycle it will be an extreme disappointment.

Momentum

 

Jockey Mario Gutierrez and I'll Have Another have been holding strong onto this amount of momentum since early February.

Before leg one of the Triple Crown, the duo entered with two victories at Santa Anita, one of which was a Grade I race (Santa Anita Derby). Then the Kentucky Derby happened and I'll Have Another stole the show from Bodemeister to position himself as the next potential Triple Crown winner.

The shorter track at Pimlico was quite the challenge as it limited the catch up time and length down the final stretch. Fortunately for Gutierrez and I'll Have Another, another comeback win over Bodemeister gave them a fourth straight victory and third at the Grade I level.

Track Length

 

Speaking of the track length at Pimlico, Belmont is not only longer than the Preakness but also longer than the Kentucky Derby.

So, every horse and jockey has work cut out to win but I'll Have Another has the edge. The stunning catch of Bodemeister at Pimlico displayed the horse's acceleration and top speed toward a race's finish.

I'll Have Another won at Churchill Downs by a little more over Bodemeister than at the Preakness. Belmont is two furlongs longer than the Derby, so it's just more distance for Gutierrez to ride and get the horse to coast, wait to make a move, catch up and then pull away down the stretch.

I'll Have Another has excellent closing speed, so don't expect anyone to keep pace after the final turn.

 

John Rozum on Twitter.

FC Dallas