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With the 2013 Triple Crown in the books, the race for a three-year-old championship will continue with the Haskell Invitational-G1 on July 29 at Monmouth Park and the Travers Stakes-G1 at Saratoga on August 25. Bet on these races live at Bookmaker.

The road to the 2013 Triple Crown actually began last November, with HANSEN leading every step of the way and holding off a wide-trip UNION RAGS to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile-G1 at Churchill Downs. Seven months later both of those colts were back in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby, along with seven others from the Juvenile. Last year's season-ending championship certainly proved worthy of its horse betting status.

As is the norm during any Triple Crown season, several intriguing three-year-olds emerged over the horse betting winter. There were names like ALGORITHMS, EL PADRINO, OUT OF BOUNDS, MARK VALESKI, ALPHA, DISCREET DANCER, and GEMOLOGIST. There was the late-on-the-scene flash from California, BODEMEISTER. In the horse betting end they would all play second-fiddle to a $35,000 colt named I'LL HAVE ANOTHER, ridden by a Mexican-born jockey named Mario Gutierrez who found his way to the Triple Crown via Hastings Park in Canada.

The race to the Kentucky Derby is all about graded earnings, and this year OPTIMIZER was last into the starting horse betting field with a $215,594 bankroll. They say money doesn't buy you everything, and that was certainly the case for this idly-managed colt – he finished 11th in the Derby, 6th in the Preakness and 10th in the Belmont Stakes, beaten a combined 58 ¼ lengths during his Triple Crown run.

When May 5 rolled around bettors were still enamored with UNION RAGS, believing his surprising horse betting defeat in the Florida Derby-G1 was the result of a bad ride by jockey Julien Leparoux. The betting favorite throughout most of the wagering, his ceded his position late to the sizzling BODEMEISTER, fresh off a nine-length romp in the Arkansas Derby-G1.

With the Kentucky Derby once again featuring a full horse betting field of 20, BODEMEISTER had to run fast to secure the lead, and he the pace he set was one of the fastest in Derby history. When he took a three-length lead into the final furlong it appeared trainer Bob Baffert had another Derby winner, and then I'LL HAVE ANOTHER, at 15/1 odds, came roaring by on the outside to win by 1 ½ lengths. The victory was a feel-good story for Gutierrez, but it would set off weeks of negative horse betting press for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Two weeks later the horse betting rematch was set at Pimlico. Despite losing the Kentucky Derby, BODEMEISTER was the 17/10 betting favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. Many handicappers saw him having an easier time on the lead, and the shorter distance would surely allow him to turn the horse betting tables on I'LL HAVE ANOTHER. BODEMEISTER was able to set a much softer pace in the Preakness, and once again he took a three-length lead into the final furlong. And once again I'LL HAVE ANOTHER came running late to nail the race-long leader, this horse betting time winning by a neck.

After winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown, and with BODEMEISTER heading back to California for some horse betting rest, many in the media were virtually handing the Triple Crown to I'LL HAVE ANOTHER. The only things standing in his way, seemingly, were UNION RAGS and DULLAHAN, horses that had chosen to sit out the Preakness after finishing seventh and third, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby.

I'LL HAVE ANOTHER had won 5-of-7 career horse betting starts, including the first two legs of the Triple Crown, and yet he had never been the horse betting favorite in any race. That was about to change in the Belmont Stakes, where he was installed the 4/5 morning-line horse betting favorite. Unfortunately he would never get the chance to run as the public's choice.

On Friday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours before the Belmont Stakes, it was announced that I''L HAVE ANOTHER was being scratched after a tendon injury was discovered. It was announced shortly thereafter that he would be retired from racing completely. The racing world was stunned. Not having witnessed a Triple Crown winner since AFFIRMED in 1978, a heavy horse betting favorite to end the drought would be watching this race from his stall.

Without a Triple Crown on the line, the Belmont Stakes certainly lost much of its horse betting luster. Yet it provided another thrilling finish during this year's series. UNION RAGS, who entered the year at or near the top of nearly every Classic horse betting contender list, finally got a chance to run his race and he validated the high expectations with a gritty win over upstart PAYNTER, who gave Bob Baffert a "Triple Crown" of his own – runner-up finishes in all three Triple Crown races.

The Triple Crown is always an exciting journey, for horses, owners, jockeys, trainers and horse bettors alike. It is filled with shocking upsets – HERO OF ORDER winning the Louisiana Derby at 109/1 odds – dominate horse betting performances – BODEMEISTER winning the Arkansas Derby – and exhilarating finishes – take your pick from the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes.

Three races in five weeks, run at unfamiliar distances, in front of larger crowds than any three-year-old has ever experienced. The Triple Crown is not for the faint of heart. Only great horses can withstand the rigors and challenges of this test. I'LL HAVE ANOTHER had a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner in history; instead, he became the 12th horse to win only the first two legs of the crown.

We'll never know if I'LL HAVE ANOTHER was great enough to complete the horse betting sweep; he never got his chance. What we do know is that for at least one more year the Triple Crown drought will continue. For those still waiting for another chapter of thoroughbred history to be written, 2013 can't get here soon enough.

Haskell Invitational and Travers Stakes previews, race recaps and wagering are always available in the racebook at Bookmaker. Bet on these events live. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today!

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Triple Crown Events

• Kentucky Derby
  
• Churchill Downs - May 4, 2013

2013 Winner: Orb

First Leg of the Triple Crown

Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another will fly to Baltimore early this week to begin preparing for the May 18 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the second leg of the Triple Crown. The third leg, the Belmont Stakes, will be run three weeks after the Preakness, June 9 at Belmont Park in New York.

• Preakness Stakes
  
• Pimlico Race Track - May 18, 2013

2013 Winner: Oxbow

The second thoroughbred race of the Triple Crown

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• Belmont Stakes
  
• Belmont Park - June 8, 2013

2012 Winner: Union Rags

The final race of the Triple Crown

Belmont Stakes horse betting picks, horse racing tips, thoroughbred betting options, Belmont Stakes official race entries, past performance, horse racing contenders, recent horse winners & race results only at BookMaker Racetrack. Sign up now & start to study the Belmont Park race track information in order to make some winning betting picks to this last part of the exciting Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing 2013.