One competitor in the 2012 Belmont Stakes has dropped out because of a fever. Alpha, who finished twelfth in the Kentucky Derby after victories in the Withers and Count Fleet races and a second place finish in the Wood Memorial. has been pulled out of the race because of a fever that was discovered on Tuesday.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who held out Alpha of training for two days because of the fever, feels that the timed missed would negatively effect Alpha if he were to participate in the Belmont Stakes on June 9, according to Daily Race Form.
It's just not the thing to do. It's a demanding race, the mile and a half. We need to be 110 percent and we're not.
Alpha was at 15-1 odds to win at Belmont.
For more on the Preakness Stakes and the race for the Triple Crown, stay with thisStoryStream and check out SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come. There, you'll also find a A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.