Preakness 2012: I’ll Have Another Wins, Keeps Triple Crown Hopes Alive

The 2012 Preakness is done and over with, as I’ll Have Another won the race and is now vying for the Triple Crown heading to the Belmont, but there are still some tidbits from the race over the weekend. Tidbits like this video of I’ll Have Another’s trainer Doug O’Neill crushing his daughter while celebrating.

Now, much of this is just the heat of the moment, with a trainer and his closest friends celebrating a big victory for the horse he’s spend a lot of time with.

Things just got a little easier in I’ll Have Another’s bid to be horse racing’s first winner of the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Bodemeister, the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, won’t participate in the Belmont Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert revealed to the New York Daily News Sunday. Baffert said the decision was intended to give Bodemeister, who was leading nearly wire-to-wire in both races before succumbing to I’ll Have Another in the final stretches, a rest.

Interestingly enough, Baffert also said a Triple Crown for I’ll Have Another would be good for the sport as a whole, indicating that may have also been a factor in his decision. From the NYDN article:

Trainer Doug O’Neill had an unconventional plan for I’ll Have Another coming off of his Kentucky Derby win, and it paid off, as the horse brought home a thrilling victory in the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes. They’re not dwelling on success: I’ll Have Another left Baltimore at 8 a.m. today headed for Belmont three weeks before he has a chance to win the Triple Crown.

At Pimlico, the horse had a secluded barn as opposed to the barn traditionally reserved for Kentucky Derby winners. The plan is the same headed to Belmont, with O’Neill looking for a similar barn in New York.

I’ll Have Another’s magical run through the first two legs of the 2012 Triple Crown — a pull-away victory in the 2012 Kentucky Derby followed by a stirring comeback in Saturday’s 2012 Preakness — places him in elite company with just the 2012 Belmont Stakes to go. If he becomes the first thoroughbred since Affirmed in 1978 to claim horse racing’s most famous prize, he will be succeeding where many horses have failed.

Since 1978, 11 horses have claimed the first two legs of the Triple Crown — Spectacular Bid in 1979, Pleasant Colony in 1981, Alydar foal Alysheba in 1987, Sunday Silence in 1989, Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, Charismatic in 1999, War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003, Smarty Jones in 2004, and Big Brown in 2008 — only to fall short of winning the Belmont Stakes in a variety of ways.

I’ll Have Another’s unbelievable comeback victories have provided for some absolutely insane moments of horse racing. With the Triple Crown still alive and each race being completely ridiculous, it’s a fun time to follow horse racing.

I’ll Have Another has had back-to-back late charges in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes to win both races for jockey Mario Gutierrez and trainer Doug O’Neill, holding off Bodemeister the favorite in both races.

Old Hill Top, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, was done up in its “Sunday Best” on the third Saturday in May for the Preakness, the second leg of the coveted Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another ran down his rival Bodemeister in deep stretch just as he did two weeks ago at Churchill Downs. With the victory, I’ll Have Another is a Belmont Stakes win away from becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner in American thoroughbred history and the first since 1978.

Somewhat similar to the Derby, Bodemeister broke well and set the pace in the early stages. Unlike the Derby, Bode was able to run much more sensible fractions and looked like a certain winner when he charged off the top of the stretch with a three length lead. I’ll Have Another, sitting a few lengths back in fourth position for much of the early parts of the race, was sent down for a drive by jockey Mario Gutierrez as he came off the far turn. With the roar of the Pimlico crown behind him, I’ll Have Another wore down his rival in the final strides to win the Preakness, keeping the Triple Crown dream alive for 2012.

Those who missed the 2012 Preakness missed one heck of a race. It came all the way down to the wire, with I’ll Have Another reeling front-runner Bodemeister in down the back-stretch as the crowd at Pimlico screamed in delight. Bodemeister, at top speed, looked like a sitting duck as the finish line approached, with I’ll Have Another flying to the front, catching him, and passing him at the wire.

Words can’t quite describe the race I’ll Have Another ran and the drama down the back-stretch. But video sure can.

I’ll Have Another pulled another unbelievable victory away from Bodemeister after trailing for most of the race. The people who are obviously most pleased are jockey Mario Gutierrez and trainer Doug O’Neill, but bettors will also be pleased.

Odds had Bodemeister and I’ll Have Another far away the favorites to finish first and second in the last odds before the race and, well, that was pretty accurate, as those horses didn’t really have any competition for the field. But it wasn’t perfectly accurate, as it ended up turning out the other way, with the favorite finishing second and the presumptive second-place finisher one race away from being the first Triple Crown winner in almost a quarter-century.

With two legs of the Triple Crown down, I’ll Have Another has energized fans of horse racing, as well as casual observers. First it was the Kentucky Derby, which I’ll Have Another captured to begin the 2012 Triple Crown journey. He looked strong, though still wasn’t quite given all the respect he may have deserved. After all, Bodemeister did head to the post as the favorite on Saturday at The Preakness.

And the race played out almost exactly as everyone expected. Bodemeister set the pace, though a little slower than most imagined, and I’ll Have Another stalked his prey. With Bodemeister leading down the stretch, I’ll Have Another reeled him in, caught him with less than 100 yards to go, then hung on for dear life to win at the wire.

Update: Full race results are here.

The second leg of the 2012 Triple Crown got under way Saturday in Baltimore as the 2012 Preakness Stakes was called to the post. The Preakness, always filled with optimism and hopes of a Triple Crown bid continuing to the final jewel, The Belmont, was packed with a strong field, including many Kentucky Derby holdovers and a few new faces. But, as usual, all eyes were focused on the Derby winner, I’ll Have Another this year.

The 137th running of the Preakness Stakes is less than a half-hour away, and here are the final odds:

So the odds have Bodemeister as slightly less likely to win -- he was 8-5 on the morning line, now he’s 2-1 -- while I’ll Have Another has also fallen off a bit, going from 5-2 on the morning line to 3-1. Either way, they’re still far and away the favorites to bring home the victory in today’s second leg of the Triple Crown.

Edit: I’ll Have Another wins the Preakness Stakes.

In the last two undercards before the running of the 137th Preakness States, Awesomemundo and Hudson Steele earned victories in the buildup before the Triple Crown event gets underway

Edit: I’ll Have Another wins The Preakness.

The full day of racing continues at Pimlico with just over an hour to go until post time for the 137th Preakness States. Hamazing Destiny won the the eighth race of the day, stalking in third place for much of the race until a late burst down the stretch captured the G3 Maryland Sprint Handicap. The D. Wayne Lukas horse edged Bandbox and Action Andy.

It’s time for the second leg of the 2012 Triple Crown, the 137th Preakness Stakes.

I’ll Have Another is looking to keep hopes of being the first Triple Crown Winner since Affirmed in 1978 alive, but isn’t the favorite. Bodemeister holds that honor with 8-5 odds to win.

With just a few hours remaining before Saturday’s running of the 2012 Preakness Stakes, the odds are still against I’ll Have Another capturing the second leg of the Triple Crown.

According to the latest odds at Bovada, Bodemeister -- who was the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby right up until he was overtaken in the home stretch by I’ll Have Another -- is once again the betting favorite to take the Preakness, at 3/2.

The racing card is stacked at Pimlico on Saturday well before the official running of the 2012 Preakness Stakes.

In the President of UAE Cup, the horses raced a one and one-sixteenth mile length on the dirt track. The race was limited to horses four years and up who are North American Arabian-bred and had a winner’s purse of $75,000. First place went to T M Fred Texas, who edged out Grilla.

Before the main event is run at the 2012 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, there is a full day of racing action. There are already a handful of races in the books before the second leg of the Triple Crown gets underway and I’ll Have Another attempts to make a mad dash for the most elusive title in sports.

The first race for the day was five furlongs on the turf, with a purse of $45,000. Varsity took home the winner’s purse, Agnostic placed and Night Officer was able to show.

On Thursday afternoon we found out the post positions for the 2012 Preakness Stakes, which can help give an idea of how horses will get out of the gate and start the race.

Each spot has it’s pros and cons. For example, Tiger Walk starts in the No. 1 position and risks being forced against the rail and getting trapped in the pack. On the outside in the No. 11 post position, Cozzetti can hold steady and work his way into the pack, but he also runs the risk of being held outside, running a longer route and tiring out and falling behind.

You can catch the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes at 4:30 EDT Saturday on NBC, but even if you’re not in front of a TV, you’ll be able to watch the race. In fact, if all you have is a computer, you’ll be able to see even more things than someone parked in front of the screen. Here are the details on how to watch online:

Bummer if you were looking for an isolation camera on the favorite, Bodemeister, I guess, but I think this is all right.

As we near post time for the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, the odds are beginning to fluctuate. Bodemeister, which opened as an 8-5 favorite in the morning line, is listed as a 3-2 favorite by Bovada.

The winner of the Kentucky Derby, I’ll Have Another, remains second to Bodemeister. I’ll Have Another was given 5-2 odds in the morning line and is now listed as a 3-1 favorite by Bovada. Other favorites include Went the Day Well, which remains at 6-1, and Creative Cause, which moved from initial 6-1 odds to 13-2. No other horse in the 11-horse field has better than 14-1 odds.

All eyes will be on the Pimlico Race Course today as I’ll Have Another attempts to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes.

I’ll Have Another enters race day with 5-2 odds, just behind morning line favorite Bodemeister, who was pegged at 8-5 odds. The two horses that finished first and second in the Kentucky Derby are expected to battle for the victory again Saturday. I’ll Have Another will begin the race from the No. 9 post position while Bodemeister will start from the No. 7 post. Other Preakness favorites include Went the Day Well and Creative Cause, who were both set with 6-1 odds.

It came down to the wire at the 2012 Pimlico Special, but Alternation held off Nehro, winning by a hair in the 48th running of the Pimlico Special.

Alternation, ridden by jockey Luis Quinonez, wasn’t exactly a surprise to win, ranked slightly behind favorite Mission Impazible at 4-1. Endorsement came in third. Nehro and Endorsement were each staked at 8-1 in the morning.

Legendary jockey Kent Desormeaux failed a breathlyzer test at Belmont Park on Friday and has been taken off his mount for the Preakness at Pimlico on Saturday, according to Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union. Desormeaux has battled alcohol problems throughout his career, and this latest incident has now cost him his ride on Tiger Walk in the Preakness. Via TimesUnion.com:

Desormeaux was scheduled to ride in three races at Belmont on Friday, which requires a breath test for all jockeys under NYRA regulations. He apparently had a blood-alcohol content higher than .05, which is the threshold for a jockey being unfit to ride.

While most of the attention is on Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Friday’s card at the Pimlico Race Course has a couple of noteworthy races as well, including the Pimlico Special. The Grade 3 race has a purse of $300,000.

Mission Impazible is the favorite in the nine-horse field with 7-2 odds. Hymn Book and Alternation are just behind Mission Impazible, both staked at 4-1. Alternation has won seven of 12 career races including all three of his races in 2012. Mission Impazible has finishied second in both of his 2012 races while Hymn Book has one first place finish in two races this year. The field was initially set at 10 horses, but Cease was an early scratch.

The Pimlico Special, a longtime tradition of the Preakness Stakes weekend that had fallen on hard times in recent years — it has been run just once since 2007 — rejoins the schedule leading up to the 2012 Preakness.

Nine horses, a field that And Down The Stretch They Come calls “really good,” will hit the track at Pimlico Park in the Special on Friday, led by Mission Impazible, a 7-2 favorite. Alternation is just behind Mission Impazible at 4-1, and Hymn Book, the third of the three top horses in the race, is at 9-2.