Belmont Stakes 2012 Post Positions: Underdogs in Ideal Position to Win Race

The Belmont Stakes field must feel like the Philadelphia 76ers after Derrick Rose went down in the first-round of the NBA playoffs. The cat is gone; it's time for the rats to eat the cheese.

The absence of I'll Have Another will open the flood gates in the 2012 Belmont Stakes, and I believe it creates a scenario without a clear favorite. I know that Dullahan has inherited the label of favorite, but there are some other horses that are in position to win.

Optimizer

This colt has finished behind I'll Have Another in both the Derby and the Preakness, and landing in post position No. 10 seemingly was setting him up for more failure. It would have put him right next to I'll Have Another, and that could have been disastrous. He still sits at 15-1, but I think his chances are better than that.

Now he will essentially be in the favorable post position that I'll Have Another was in. He'll only have one horse outside of him, and he'll have the room to work and show his speed.

I believe he'll at least place today.

My Adonis

This is another 15-1 underdog, but he is the horse on the outside. He won't have to worry about I'll Have Another chasing him down, or out-running him in the final few furlongs. My Adonis hasn't raced since May 5, when he finished third at Cananero II, but the unpredictable field favors the outside horse even more today.

I have a feeling this race will be about location, and My Adonis is in a great spot.

Here are the post positions, horses, odds, trainers and jockeys for the race:

1. Street Life (8-1) Chad Brown - Jose Lezcano

2. Unstoppable U (20-1) Ken McPeek - Junior Alvarado

3. Union Rags (3-1) Michael Matz - John Velazquez

4. Atigun (15-1) Ken McPeek - Julien Leparoux

5. Dullahan (9-5) Dale Romans - Javier Castellano

6. Ravelo's Boy (30-1) Manny Azpurua - Alex Solis

7. Five Sixteen (30-1) Dominick Schettino - Rosie Napravnik

8. Guyana Star Dweej (30-1) Doodnauth Shivmangal - Kent Desormeaux

9. Paynter (7-2) Bob Baffert - Mike Smith

10. Optimizer (15-1) D. Wayne Lukas - Corey Nakatani

11. I'll Have Another - Scratched

12. My Adonis (15-1) Kelly Breen - Ramon Dominguez

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