Belmont Stakes 2015 Post Positions: Draw, Start Time, Horses Lineup and More

Poor post-position draws didn't slow American Pharoah in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, but getting a strong starting spot in the lengthy 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes will be an integral part of the colt's chance to emerge victorious once more.

Pharoah made up plenty of extra ground after starting far out wide at Churchill Downs, racing from the outside to settle in third position and maintain enough stamina to finish strong. He overcame the daunting task of starting from the dreaded No. 1 gate at Pimlico—a position that had only yielded one previous winner since 1961—by accelerating past traffic to get out into the lead position, once again finishing strong.

While those two performances were certainly impressive, Pharoah is now running his third Triple Crown race in a five-week stretch. Fatigue and a potential decrease of stamina both come into play at this point, and keeping his lead following a necessary burst during the onset of the race will be extremely difficult.

That said, you won't want to miss the Belmont Stakes' post-position draw, as you'll get a chance to see the fates of every contender dramatically unfold. Will Pharoah's luck in these draws turn around? You'll have to tune in to find out, so here's a look at how to watch the event.

2015 Belmont Stakes Post Draw Info

When: Wednesday, June 3

Where: Rockefeller Center in New York City

Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NYRA.com (requires membership)

Lineup, Odds and Pedigree Info

Contender	Odds	Sire	Dam
American Pharoah	5-6	Pioneerof the Nile	Littleprincessemma
Frosted	11-2	Tapit	Fast Cookie
Materiality	13-2	Afleet Alex	Wildwood Flower
Carpe Diem	12-1	Giant's Causeway	Rebridled Dreams
Mubtaahij	16-1	Dubawi	Pennegale
Madefromlucky	16-1	Lookin At Lucky	Home From OZ
Tale of Verve	22-1	Tale of Ekati	Verve
Keen Ice	28-1	Curlin	Medomak
Frammento	40-1	Midshipman	Ginger Bay
The Truth or Else	50-1	Yes It's True	Lakenheath

All race odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Belmont Stakes Post-Position History

Post	Winners
1	23
2	11
3	13
4	9
5	13
6	7
7	11
8	5
9	3
10	2
11	2

Historical data courtesy of Belmont-Stakes.info.

There's a reason the bulk of the race's winners have come from the inside positions. Since the Belmont Stakes is a 1 1/2-mile race—by far the longest of the Triple Crown events—stamina becomes a huge issue. Starting far out wide doesn't give a contender much opportunity to run the race in a good spot close to the rail, severely lengthening an already long race.

Let's take American Pharoah's run in the Kentucky Derby as an example. The colt drew the No. 18 gate but started in post No. 16 due to a couple scratches. That forced him to make up plenty of ground early in an effort to move toward the lead pack. While he had a great start, and made it up to third position, he was forced to run three wide off the rail for the majority of the race.

Take a look back at Pharoah's run at Churchill Downs:

You can easily see Pharoah ran a longer distance than the race's top contenders that were fortunate enough to run on the inside. While the colt still emerged victorious, that same scenario at Belmont Park may not come with such a happy ending, as we're dealing with a longer race and a fatigued horse.

If Pharoah does have to start out wide, and he does begin to run out of gas down the final stretch at Belmont Park, contenders like Frosted and Materiality may be there to spoil the colt's Triple Crown bid, as both are tremendous closers.

Frosted isn't known for quick starts out of the gate, preferring to remain well behind the leaders, saving his stamina and producing a blazing run throughout the race's last half mile. That strategy earned him a fourth-place finish in the Derby, but he did win the Wood Memorial in that manner. Here's a look:

While starting slowly isn't exactly a good tendency, the Belmont's longer distance may prove beneficial to Frosted. If he salvages enough stamina to make a big late charge, his closing ability may be good enough to pass any fatigued contenders down the final stretch.

Materiality may not be as great of a closer as Frosted, but he is well above average in that department. This colt is very well-rounded, as he has the ability to start quickly, maintain a brisk pace and still have enough left in the tank to make a late run. Those attributes should make him a factor at Belmont—especially since he's well-rested after trainer Todd Pletcher decided to hold him out of the Preakness.

All of these scenarios could likely come into play in this year's Belmont Stakes; however, the post position draw will ultimately decide how these contenders' jockeys will plan their respective strategies.