Belmont Post Positions

Here are the post positions for the Belmont on Saturday. For starters, Union Rags has once again drawn an inside post; Dullahan is perfectly positioned and I'll Have Another will come out of the 11 hole. The question, of course, is will he indeed have another win and claim the Triple Crown for the first time in 34 years?

The post positions in the Belmont are not as important as in the Derby where an inside post with a 20 horse field means you are likely to have the trip that Union Rags did unless your horse has wings. An inside post in a 12 horse 1 1/2 mile race is not as detrimental--I actually don't think the jocks are going to be gunning for Union Rags as much as they are for I'll Have Another.

Speaking of which, his outside post is absolutely perfect in terms of staying out of traffic. And Dullahan is nicely positioned as well. Look for a potential spoiler in Paynter or some horse we have all overlooked like Five Sixteen. The Belmont is just that kind of a race.

Here's the thing--so many Belmonts have been lost down the endless stretch when jockeys make their moves too early. Either you are way out in front like Secretariat and then continue to pull away or you have a jockey who knows his horse and knows the track and times the stretch move perfectly.

To me, both Union Rags and Dullahan look like spoilers on paper but I truly wouldn't throw out any horse in this race. It's just the way the Belmont is--two turns, an endless stretch and there are no guarantees of anything.

Weather forecast is for sunny and warm. NBC will carry the events live beginning at 2:30 PM. Will history be made?

Belmont Park - June 9, 2012

Race 11 - 6:40 PM

STAKES
Belmont S. (Grade I)

Purse $1,000,000. For Three Year Olds.. One And One Half Miles.
PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Street Life (KY) 3/C L J Lezcano 126 C C Brown
2 Unstoppable U (KY) 3/C L J Alvarado 126 K G McPeek
3 Union Rags (KY) 3/C L J R Velazquez 126 M R Matz
4 Atigun (KY) 3/C L J R Leparoux 126 K G McPeek
5 Dullahan (KY) 3/C L J Castellano 126 D L Romans
6 Ravelo's Boy (KY) 3/C A O Solis 126 M J Azpurua
7 Five Sixteen (KY) 3/G L R Napravnik 126 D A Schettino
8 Guyana Star Dweej (KY) 3/C L K J Desormeaux 126 D Shivmangal
9 Paynter (KY) 3/C L M E Smith 126 B Baffert
10 Optimizer (KY) 3/C L C S Nakatani 126 D W Lukas
11 I'll Have Another (KY) 3/C L M Gutierrez 126 D F O'Neill
12 My Adonis (KY) 3/C L R A Dominguez 126 K J Breen

Owners: 1 - Magnolia Racing Stable LLC and Hidden Brook Farm ; 2 - Magdalena Racing (Susan McPeek) and Mojallali Stables, Inc. ; 3 - Chadds Ford Stable ; 4 - Shortleaf Stable, Inc. ; 5 - Donegal Racing ; 6 - Korina Stable ; 7 - MeB Racing Stables LLC ; 8 - Shivmangal Racing Stable, LLC ; 9 - Zayat Stables, LLC ; 10 - Bluegrass Hall LLC ; 11 - Reddam Racing LLC ; 12 - George and Lori Hall