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.