2012 Preakness Post Positions: Horses Who Don't Need Favorable Starting Position

The Preakness post positions draw is later today and for a lot of gamblers, it means everything.

A horse that starts on the rail always gives them lower odds. Why? Because the odds of getting caught up on the outside (thus traveling farther) or getting stuck in a poor position in traffic are highly unlikely. The No. 2 position is the second best, then third and so on.

Horses that typical get off to slow starts like Bodemeister are rail horses. They need a clear path to the finish in order to claim victory.

But not all horses are going to need a favorable post position to make them worth your money. Here are three worth a look, regardless of where they end up tonight.

Daddy Nose Best

This is a horse that is quick out of the gate and tends to slow down on the longer tracks. At the Kentucky Derby where the track is one-and-a-quarter miles long, he faded coming down the stretch and finished a disappointing 10th. The shorter length of the Preakness (1 and 3/16) is going to be right up his alley.

With a fast start, Daddy Nose Best is going to be a serious contender regardless of the post position he receives. He has the speed to distance himself from the crowd.  

Went the Day Well

The Kentucky Derby was a success for this colt, which ended up finishing fourth.

The son of Proud Citizen has gotten better with every race he has run this spring, and his versatile running style is the main reason why.

Went the Day Well has the endurance to make up for a slow start if he gets stuck with an unfavorable post position, and the speed to exploit a rail spot. He can run well from a closing or a stalking position.

When looking at horses besides Bodemeister and I’ll Have Another, Went the Day Well has to be right near the top.

Creative Cause

While many consider his fifth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby a disappointment, recent metrics suggest Creative Cause ran one of the most impressive races at Churchill Downs. According to the Trakus system that charts how far a horse travels during a race, nobody ran farther than Creative Cause.

What does that mean?

Despite running 70 feet more than runner up Bodemeister, he finished less than three lengths behind him. If he is able to get a clean break out of the gate at the Preakness and avoid traveling so far, this speedster is going to blast past the competition. 

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