After winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, I'll Have Another is finally gaining some respect.
In the final stage of the Triple Crown, I'll Have Another is finally penciled in as the favorite for at 4-5 odds to win the Belmont Stakes. In the first two races, Bodemeister was the favorite, even after losing to I'll Have Another in the Derby. Bodemeister will not run at Belmont after two second place finishes in the Triple Crown races.
I'll Have Another will start from the No. 11 post in Saturday's race. Only two horses have won the Belmont Stakes from No. 11 since 1905. But this horse has a history of breaking records after becoming the first horse to win the Derby from the 19th post.
"We're going to see how the pace sets up," trainer Doug O'Neill said Wednesday. "If they're crawling, hopefully we'll be leading the crawl and if they're flying, hopefully we'll be sitting in behind the horses flying."
The next three favorites were Dullahan at 5-1, Union Rags at 6-1 and Paynter at 8-1. Both Dullahan and Union Rags ran in the Derby and skipped the Preakness. They finished third and seventh respectively.
Ten horses will compete against I'll Have Another in an attempt to upset his bid to become the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown. The last to accomplish the feat was Affirmed in 1978. Nineteen horses have come to Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown only to lose the 11/2-mile race.
The 2012 Belmont Stakes will take place at Belmont Park in Belmont, NY on Saturday June 9. Post time is 6:40 p.m.