The 2012 Belmont Stakes just got much less history-making. This is breaking news, but multiple outlets are reporting that I'll Have Another, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, has been scratched from the Belmont Stakes due to injury, ending another year of dashed Triple Crown hopes. That leaves Dullahan and Union Rags the favorites going into Saturday's race, but it also makes Saturday's race much less interesting to the throngs of casual racing fans who were hoping to see the first Triple Crown-winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Anyone who remembers the Barbaro saga can surely understand pulling a horse and being better safe than sorry, but it's still a major disappointment, even if his owner is supposedly kind of sleazy. We'll be following this story—and the suddenly decapitated Belmont Stakes—all the way through to Saturday's race, so stay tuned to this storystream for further updates.
I'll Have Another is the 12th horse since Affirmed's victory to win the Derby and the Preakness and, for whatever reason, prove unable to pull through on Belmont Stakes day. The Triple Crown clock will tick a while longer yet.