‘I’ll Have Another,’ the champion horse that looked to be the first Kentucky Derby Tripple Crown Winner since Affirmed, saw its hopes for a Tripple Crown erased after the horse was forced to retire due to tendonitis. The news was presented by I’ll Have Another’s trainer, Doug O’Neill, who was a guest on The Dan Patrick Show and said to Dan that ‘I’ll Have Another’ would be scratched from the Belmont.
I have to admit I was crestfallen to know this happened literally right on the eve before the eve of the Belmont Stakes, and of course on the cusp of history. It’s been 34 long years since America and The World has seen a Triple Crown winner, and while there were a lot of one-time winners that looked like they might take the Preakness and The Belmont Stakes, they didn’t. I’ll Have Another was the best hope in decades.
But why is it so important? I think it’s because of our natural desire to see something great done, especially in sports. It’s really that simple. That could apply to a repeat Super Bowl champion or NBA Finals dynasty, but the truth is we do love that one iconic person or team, or in this case horse, that sets the standard by which others are measured.
Stay tuned.