Horse racing needs Triple Crown winner

LITTLE ROCK — Once again, the world of thoroughbred racing has a shot at something it really needs ... or something it doesn’t, another slap of disappointment.

One thing that is certain is that the tie will be broken at this year’s Belmont Stakes on June 9.

In the history of the Triple Crown - the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes - horses have come into this final leg 22 times needing a victory to capture the Triple Crown.

And 11 have succeeded and 11 have failed.

Horse racing needs a Triple Crown winner.

It needs it to boost interest, ratings and its image in a world overrun with sports.

I’ll Have Another has the chance to not only carve his name into racing history, but to create the most interest in horse racing since the book, Seabiscuit, or perhaps Smarty Jones in 2004.

Yes, Big Brown came into the final leg 2-0 in 2008, but his trainer Rick Dutrow admitted giving his horse shots of anabolic steroids and it tainted the story. Dutrow was denied a training license at Churchill Downs in 2011 and is currently appealing a 10-year suspension in New York.

There was almost a sigh of relief in the training community when Big Brown finished ninth in the Belmont. Da’Tara was the winner.

I’ll Have Another trainer Doug O’Neill has faced some of the same accusations as Dutrow, but the racing world knows it needs a Triple Crown winner as much as boxing needs a great heavyweight champion.

When I’ll Have Another got by Bodemeister to win by a neck Saturday it appeared racing may have gotten an even greater break.

I’ll Have Another beat Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths.

Those were the same margins Affirmed beat Alydar by in those two races in 1978, the last time a horse won the Triple Crown. Those were legendary duels.

By Sunday, Bodemeister trainer Bob Baffert decided his front-running colt had had enough of I’ll Have Another, who is undefeated this year.

That was the same day the winner shipped to Belmont. He shipped to Pimlico the day after winning the Derby. The hope is to get him accustomed to the atmosphere and racing’s most grueling track. It is called Big Sandy for a reason.

The race is 1 1/2 miles, and more than once an undefeated horse has come into the stretch staring down a legacy that looks like it is 10 miles of beach.

Only one of those three, Seattle Slew in 1977, made it to the finish line undefeated.

I’ll Have Another also faces the Smarty Jones Challenge.

A nation tuned in on that beautiful Saturday afternoon hoping to see a true champion crowned, instead they were stunned when lightly raced and well-rested Birdstone became the first horse to beat Smarty Jones. It happened in the last 100 yards by a length.

There will be well-rested horses for I’ll Have Another to best as well.

Dullahan, who was closing faster than I’ll Have Another in the Kentucky Derby, sat out the Preakness, so he’ll be much fresher if trainer Dale Romans decides to run. Dullahan finished third at Churchill Downs.

Another horse who ran in the Kentucky Derby then took last week off is Union Rags, who broke poorly, got buried behind 17 horses, edged his way up to 13th after a mile and finished a strong seventh despite touring most of the track.

Granted, when I’ll Have Another found the grit and determination to run down Bodemeister, who may have the misfortune of being born the same year, in those final steps it was obvious America was seeing a very special horse.

I’ll Have Another has the bloodline and apparently everything else it takes. Now he needs to run a little farther just as fast and hope his connections don’t start talking about steroids.