Triple Crown 2012: Union Rags Runs Down Paynter In Stretch To Take 144th Belmont Stakes

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2012 Belmont Stakes: Union Rags Wins The Third Leg Of The Triple Crown

After I'll Have Another was pulled with an injury and forced into retirement, the 2012 Belmont Stakes seemed open for the taking. Dullahan would emerge as the favorite, but would not be named the victor as that honor went to Union Rags in a thrilling race that went down to the wire.

Staying in the middle of the pack for most of the race, Union Rags made his move with 300 yards remaining in the race to overtake Paynter, who led from the outset.

Staying along the inside railing, Union Rags was able to pass Paynter on the inside to secure the victory. The official race results are as follows:

Win - Union Rags (6/1)

Place - Paynter (8/1)

Show - Atigun (30/1)

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with thisStoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Belmont Stakes Odds: Odds Get Longer For Every Horse In The Field

The running of the 2012 Belmont Stakes is just over a half hour away and the betting lines have changed quite a bit with the odds getting longer for just about every horse in the field.

Dullahan is still the favorite at 5/1 after being just a 9/5 favorite on Friday.

Long shot horses such as Ravelo's Boy, Five Sixteen and Guyana Star Dweek all went from 30/1 odds on Friday to 50/1 odds by Saturday afternoon.

Here are the latest odds:

1-Street Life, 12/1
2-Unstoppable U, 30/1
3-Union Rags, 6/1
4-Atigun, 30/1
5-Dullahan, 5/1
6-Ravelo's Boy, 50/1
7-Five Sixteen, 50/1
8-Guyana Star Dweej, 50/1
9-Paynter, 8/1
10-Optimizer, 20/1
11-I'll Have Another, Scratched
12-My Adonis, 20/1

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Belmont Stakes: Watch The Race Live Online

The final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown will take place Saturday evening with the running of the Belmont Stakes, but if you can't make it to a television no need to be concerned, NBCSports.com will be live streaming the race on their site.

The loss of I'll Have Another from the race on Friday has put a bit of a damper on the Belmont festivities, but fans should still expect a good race from the like of Dullahan, Paynter and Union Rags. Dullahan in fact is the new favorite to win the Belmont, coming in at 9/5 morning odds.

Post time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: Post Time, TV Schedule, Live Coverage And More

The 2012 Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday, but with the sudden retirement of 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakes winner I'll Have Another, the race has lost a bit of its luster. I'll Have Another injured a tendon Friday morning, forcing the colt into retirement, and the 34-year-long Triple Crown drought will continue.

With I'll Have Another missing Saturday's race, look for Dullahan, Union Rags or Paynter to win at Belmont. Dullahan is currently the new favorite, coming in at 9/5 odds.

Race Date: Saturday, June 9, 2012

Location: Belmont Park, New York

Television Coverage: NBC

Post Time: TV Coverage begins at 5:00 p.m. EST, the Belmont Stakes Race Post time is at 6:30 p.m. EST

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012 Odds: Dullahan New Favorite After Sudden Retirement Of I'll Have Another

Horse racing's 34-year quest for another Triple Crown winner will have to wait, as 2012 Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another suddenly retired on Friday with a tendon injury, just one day before this year's Belmont Stakes.

With I'll Have Another out of the race, a new favorite has emerged: Dullahan at 9/5 odds. Union Rags is now listed at 3/1, with Paynter coming in at 7/2. Even before the injury to I'll Have Another, many believed Bob Baffert's horse Paynter was fully capable of the win at the Belmont.

Complete odds for the 2012 Belmont Stakes can be found below:

1-Street Life, 8/1
2-Unstoppable U, 20/1
3-Union Rags, 3/1
4-Atigun, 15/1
5-Dullahan, 9/5
6-Ravelo's Boy, 30/1
7-Five Sixteen, 30/1
8-Guyana Star Dweej, 30/1
9-Paynter, 7/2
10-Optimizer, 15/1
11-I'll Have Another, Scratched
12-My Adonis, 15/1

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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VIDEO: 2012 Belmont Stakes, I'll Have Another Scratched From Triple Crown Race With Injury

The shocking news of I'll Have Another's retirement from the 2012 Belmont Stakes with a tendon injury ended the hopes of a horse achieving the Triple Crown for yet another year. There are plenty of questions that the decision brings up including what the future holds in store for I'll Have Another and what this does to the field for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Matt Garder of SB Nation has a video update with the answers to those concerns and many more.

As for what the next step is for I'll Have Another, this video details his horse friends Dullahan, Union Rags and Paynter helping to raise the horse's spirits with a day of fun.

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with thisStoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Belmont Stakes: I'll Have Another Retired From Thoroughbred Racing

2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another has officially been retired from horse racing. Paul Reddam, the horse's owner, made the announcement Friday afternoon at a press conference at Belmont Park.

From Washington Examiner columnist Rick Snider.

IHA has some tendinitis on left front leg. 3-6 months off so decided to retire him.

— Rick Snider (@Snide_Remarks) June 8, 2012

The news that I'll Have Another would be scratched from the Belmont, which trainer Doug O'Neil announced on The Dan Patrick Show Friday morning, will no doubt be a massive blow to both the gate and the gambling receipts at Belmont Park for Saturday's race, which will now run with greatly diminished field.

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with thisStoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012 Odds: I'll Have Another Favored At 4-To-5

The odds for Saturday's Belmont Stakes are out now that the post positions have been announced. I'll Have Another, starting from the No. 11 post, has 4-to-5 odds currently. The other notable odds in the race include Dullahan from the No. 5 post at 5-to-1, Union Rags at the No. 3 post at 6-to-1 odds.

Paynter, trained by Bob Baffert, has 8-to-1 odds starting from the No. 9 post. He is also owned by Zayat Stables, the same connection as Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up Bodemeister.

The only other horse that has odds below 30-to-1 is Street Life, starting from the No. 1 post, at 12-to-1 odds.

Here are the remaining odds for the Belmont Stakes.

via assets.sbnation.com

For more on the Belmont Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: Dullahan Trainer Would Be Surprised To Not Win

Most casual fans tuning in to the 2012 Belmont Stakes will be pulling for history to be made as I'll Have Another attempts to win the first Triple Crown since 1978. For the 11 other horses and their teams, though, that couldn't be further from the truth—especially for Dullahan.

The second-favorite for Saturday's race at 6-1, Dullahan's team is pretty confident in its chances. Jerry Crawford, the leader of Dullahan's ownership team, told the Baltimore Sun that they "owe it to Affirmed, Seattle Slew and the rest" to win in New York. Dale Romans, Dullahan's trainer, told the Sun, "I'll be surprised if we don't win."

Dullahan skipped the Preakness after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby. The horse will be running from the No. 5 position.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: My Adonis A Late Addition To The Field

I'll Have Another has 3-5 odds as the hands down favorite in the Belmont Stakes this weekend. A win would make the horse only the 12th Triple Crown winner in the history of the sport. However, I'll Have Another figures to have another horse to compete against this Saturday thanks to the late entry of My Adonis, according to the Daily Racing Form.

My Adonis is owned by George and Lori Hall. It's trainer is Kelly Breen. That trio was responsible for last year's winner at Belmont, Ruler On Ice. Jockey Ramon Dominguez will ride My Adonis in the race. No odds have been set.

Racing fans will recognize My Adonis as the son of Breeders' Cup champion Pleasantly Perfect. My Adonis' last race came on May 5, when he finished third in the Canonero II Stakes at Pimlico.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: Don't Discount Dullahan Says Former President

I'll Have Another, despite a rough stretch of headlines recently, is still a 3-5 favorite to win Saturday's 2012 Belmont Stakes. A win would make the horse the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years and only the 12th horse to pull it off in the history of the sport. One very well known horse racing fan, who knows a little about horse racing from a life in politics, says to keep an eye out for Dullahan.

Former President Bill Clinton shared his feelings on the race following a Friday fundraiser at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.

"The Belmont might be a good race for him [Dullahan] because he closed just as strong as I'll Have Another," Mr. Clinton said, "and he came out of maybe more interference, so, you know, if that horse has a race like he had in the Derby, he could still give I'll Have Another a race.

"I'd say he's got a good chance. He looked like he had some juice left at the end of both those races."

Dullahan finished third in the Kentucky Derby, and then sat out the Preakness. The horse currently has the second best odds in the race at 5-1.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Belmont Stakes: I'll Have Another's Jockey, Mario Gutierrez, Will Arrive Early To Belmont

I'll Have Another, the winner of the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakes, will have a chance at horse racing immortality this Saturday at the 2012 Belmont Stakes, as a win for the colt would make I'll Have Another just the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown. The horse's 25-year-old jockey, Mario Gutierrez, has never raced at Belmont, and therefore will be arriving early this week to get a feel for the track. Via the Chicago Tribune:

But the 25-year-old never has raced at Belmont, and one veteran rider said inexperience will be his undoing. Kent Desormeaux, winner of six Triple Crown races and twice the jockey aboard a horse that won the first two legs but lost the third, does not believe Gutierrez will be able to acclimate to the 1 1/2-mile race over a track of the same distance (Churchill Downs and Pimlico are mile tracks).

Gutierrez will arrive early this week in New York. O'Neill and I'll Have Another owner J. Paul Reddam hope the jockey will ride in as many as 10 races before the Belmont. Reddam has gone so far as to say he would invest in a horse and enter it in the Grade II Brooklyn Handicap - also 1 1/2 miles - to help Gutierrez. Veteran jockey Richard Migliore has offered to take Gutierrez on a tour of the track to share his insights.

Though inexperienced, Gutierrez was sublime aboard I'll Have Another in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, perfectly timing the run at Bodemeister in the Derby and outdueling veteran Mike Smith and Bodemeister in the Preakness.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another Gallops Around Muddy Track Saturday

I'll Have Another took an easy gallop around the Belmont oval Saturday in preparation for the 2012 Belmont Stakes and his run at the Triple Crown. Conditions were sloppy due to overnight rain, but the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner was the first horse to hit the mud at 8:30 a.m. ET. I'll Have Another finished sixth at the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga in his only start over an off-track, but trainer Doug O'Neill said he isn't worried about potential slop affecting his horse.

"He had a lot of trouble in the Hopeful and came out of it with sore shins," O'Neill said. "During this whole Triple Crown run, he's trained over a lot of sloppy tracks and he gets over it really well. I don't think track surface will be an issue."

O'Neill is preparing to move his horse early into the secure barn that will house all of the Belmont contenders by the afternoon on Wednesday. He once again reiterated the same confidence in I'll Have Another that he has all week.

"With a horse like I'll Have Another you're under a really strong microscope," he said. "I think it's all just trying to show the public we care for the horses and that when you put your hard-earned money and you bet on one of the horses you can know they're all clean and pure and ready to go."

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Belmont Stakes: I'll Have Another Looks Good In Friday Training Session

The 2012 Belmont Stakes are a week away, with I'll Have Another looking to become just the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown with a victory. In what comes as bad news for his competitors, the Derby and Preakness winner is impressing folks in his training sessions. Via the Belmont Stakes and NYRA Press Office:

"He went great," said trainer Doug O'Neill of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, who is bidding to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner and first in 34 years. "I'll Have Another ate up everything last night, his legs are looking great and he's got great energy. I loved the way he trained out there. He's maintained his beautiful stride."

Affirmed was the last horse to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, 34 years ago. Since that time, 11 horses have won both the Derby and Preakness with a chance for glory at Belmont and failed, most recently Big Brown in 2008.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: Alpha Pulled From Race Because Of Fever

Alpha, a horse that looked to be one of the better competitors for I'll Have Another in the Belmont Stakes has been pulled out of the race by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin because Alpha had just recovered from a fever on Thursday after missing two days of training.

McLaughlin believed that the lost days would come back to negatively effect Alpha in the longest of the three Triple Crown races according to Daily Race Form.

It's just not the thing to do. It's a demanding race, the mile and a half. We need to be 110 percent and we're not

Alpha had won the Withers and Count Fleet races and finished second behind Gemologist in the Wood Memorial race. However, he finished a disappointing twelfth at the Kentucky Derby.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: Tougher Drug Rules To Be Enforced

On June 9, I'll Have Another will try to become the first Triple Crown winner in 34 years at the 2012 Belmont Stakes, and New York racing officials are trying to make sure that it's all done legally. As Joe Drape reported in The New York Times, state racing authorities have announced "extraordinary" illegal drug safeguards.

This comes on the heels of a 45-day suspension handed out by California racing regulators to I'll Have Another's trainer, Doug O'Neill, for drug-enhancement violations last week. In total, O'Neill's horses have more than a dozen drug violations in four different states.

Drape describes the stricter process:

When the horses arrive at the barn on June 6, they will be given a blood test that will be sent to the state drug laboratory for immediate review. The horses will be under guard, and a limited number of people - trainers, veterinarians and certain staff members - will be permitted to enter. Each of the visitors' comings and goings must be formally logged. In addition, searches and checks of all equipment, feed, hay and bales will be conducted, and veterinarians will be escorted to the specific horse. Lasix will be permitted on race day.

Check out Drape's full report for more information.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another Heavily Favored With 5-4 Odds

Belmont is just around the corner on June 9, the last leg of horse racing's Triple Crown events. All eyes are on Belmont this year as the country watches and wait to see if I'll Have Another can snap the sport's 34-year drought without a Triple Crown winner. Anyone playing the odds, will like the 5-4 line given to the horse in preliminary odds. Those looking to get a little more return on their stake, may want to find something a little further down the list.

Union Rags, with 5-1 odds, is the first horse behind the favorite. Next on the list in the field of 10 horses is Dullahan at 11-2, followed by Paynter at 9-1.

A favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Union Rags stumbled on its way to a seventh-place finish. The horse skipped the Preakness, and has a new jockey, John Velazquez, for the Belmont Stakes.

The preliminary odds for the field at Belmont look like this:

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Belmont Stakes 2012: I'll Have Another Expected To Boost Television Ratings With Triple Crown Chase

What makes the Triple Crown of horse racing so special is the rarity of horses winning one. Only 11 horses have claimed the prize, and the last time one did it was 34 years ago with Affirmed swept all three races in 1978. Since then 11 other horses have won the first two legs of the series, just like this year's Triple Crown favorite I'll Have Another. One winner in that horse's chase for history is the NBC network, which is banking on bigger ratings for the June 9 Belmont Stakes.

Ratings for the Preakness dropped eight percent over last year. However, if history is any guide, I'll Have Another's win at Pimlico last Saturday should boost ratings for Belmont. According to a report from USA Today, television ratings for Belmont have averaged four percent of US households without a Triple Crown contender since 2000. The four races since then that did feature a horse trying to capture the third jewel of the crown averaged more than 10 percent of households.

As a result, NBC and their offshoot NBC Sports Network will try an capture some of that interest with expanded programming.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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2012 Triple Crown: I'll Have Another Will Face Familiar Foes At Belmont Stakes

While Bodemeister will not challenge I'll Have Another at the 2012 Belmont Stakes, the horse will still be running against some familiar competition on June 9.

The Seattle P-I reports that both Union Rags and Dullahan will run the Belmont after taking the Preakness off. Dullahan finished third in the 2012 Kentucky Derby while Union Rags finished seventh.

Union Rags was one of the more favored horses back at the Kentucky Derby at 5-1 odds, so he should have good odds for Belmont as well. Doug O'Neil, the trainer of both Dullahan and Union Rags in addition to I'll Have Another still feels that it will be tough to compete with the winner of both the Derby and the Preakness.

"We're ready to go, too," he said outside his barn at Pimlico before leaving for California. "Our horse came out of this race in great shape and as long as he stays injury free we've got a big, big chance."

The field for the Belmont have not been officially announced yet.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStreamand check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.

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Triple Crown 2012: Bodemeister Will Not Race At Belmont Stakes

I'll Have Another will not get the chance to beat Bodemeister a third time on the way to a rare horse racing Triple crown, as Bodemeister's trainer Bob Baffert said the horse will not race in the upcoming Belmont Stakes.

Bob Baffert, winner of five Preakness Stakes and trainer of Bodemeister, said I'll Have Another's win is good for the sport and good for the Belmont.

"The winner's a good horse," Baffert said. "He'll get the respect now that he deserves. I'm proud that as a trainer my horse showed up and he ran his race. He just got beat."

Baffert said he will not send Bodemeister to the Belmont Stakes. "I wasn't going to go, win lose or draw," he said. "I've run him pretty hard."

It has been 34 years since Affirmed won the Triple Crown, with I'll Have Another now the 12th horse since Affirmed to capture both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The previous 11 have failed to win at Belmont, most recently Big Brown in 2008.

The 2012 Belmont Stakes will take place in three weeks, on June 9th at Belmont Park in New York.

For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.