The 2012 Belmont Stakes will be more interesting to casual horse-racing fans than most, with surprise star I'll Have Another just one race away from the first Triple Crown since 1978, but that doesn't make the release of the Belmont Stakes odds any less important. Early odds have the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champion at 3/2, suggesting bettors plan on limiting their exposure to the rush of fans eager to put money down on the possible hero-horse.
The last Triple Crown winner, 1978's Affirmed, was a favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, if never quite reaching 1-10-favorite/Secretariat levels with Alydar on his tail. I'll Have Another was an underdog in Kentucky and again in the Preakness, behind Bodemeister; now he's a favorite almost by default, with the Belmont Stakes a national topic of conversation and his primary rival dropping out after losing both races to America's new most-famous horse.
Here's more on the 2012 Triple Crown competition from SB Nation Studios; subscribe to get more leading up the Belmont Stakes on June 9.