Beyer: Hoping for 'Another' Triple Crown win
In his column at the Washington Post, Andrew Beyer writes that he will be cheering wholeheartedly for a victory in the Belmont Stakes for I'll Have Another. Beyer writes of the competition that Paynter may be too lightly seasoned to be a threat at the distance though he has a bright future. Dullahan's Kentucky Derby run was deceiving in that he was only passing tiring horses. Union Rags is still an unknown quantity after bad trips in both the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Beyer believes that if I'll Have Another runs to his performances in the Derby and Preakness he will win the Triple Crown.
This is a good thing, writes Beyer, because the horse is surrounded by an engaging cast of characters. His jockey comes from a modest back ground. His owner is a former philosophy professor and Doug O'Neill has handled the spotlight put on him with humor and ease. While many question Doug O'Neill's record and how that would be good for the Triple Crown, Beyer says he did his own research of recent performances for horses in his care and found nothing suspicious.
Beyer writes: "But the main reason to root for I'll Have Another is that U.S. horse racing has never needed a shining moment as badly as it does now - a moment that reminds the nation why thoroughbred racing has been a great and compelling sport for centuries."
He continues: "Horse racing's problems are so deep that they are surely not going to be cured in any sense by I'll Have Another. But perhaps the spectacle of 100,000 people cheering a Triple Crown winner can give the sport a national boost and underscore its importance in New York. That alone is a good reason for racing fans to cheer for I'll Have Another. "
