Belmont beckons for I'll Have Another

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - I'll Have Another is on his way to Belmont Park with the Triple Crown steadfast in his sights.

After running down Bodemeister to win the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths in Louisville, I'll Have Another chased and caught the favorite again on Saturday at the Preakness in Baltimore. He won by only a neck at Pimlico, but is now in position to become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win all three classics for three-year-olds.

Trainer Doug O'Neill on Sunday morning said the colt is ready for the 1 1/2 mile test at Belmont.

"Two down, one to go!" he tweeted in Baltimore before shipping the colt to New York.

I'll Have Another is the 12th horse since Affirmed to win both the Derby and Preakness. The last opportunity for Triple Crown glory was four years ago, when Big Brown won the first two legs and finished 10th at the Belmont.

The others who also came up short were Spectacular Bid (1979), Pleasant Colony (1981), Alysheba (1987), Sunday Silence (1989), Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003) and Smarty Jones (2004).