Preakness 2012 Post Positions: Breaking Down the Best and Worst

The post positions for the 2012 Preakness Stakes have been set and analyzed, with the race set to commence Saturday afternoon. 

Eleven horses will fight to win the 137th edition of the Preakness. Some of these horses were given a boost with a favorable post position while others saw their chances at victory decrease with an unlucky draw. 

Let's take a look at the post positions and which horses are in the best position to take the cake this year.

Post Position: 1

Previous Winners: 9

This Year's Horse: Tiger Walk

Tiger Walk has one of the best post positions in this year's Preakness. 

He has raced three races this year and finished third in one of them. He is not experienced on a big stage and did not race in the Kentucky Derby. 

Tiger Walk will look to take advantage of his rail position the same way Tabasco Cat did in 1994. If he can, he will beat big odds.

Post Position: 2

Previous Winners: 11

This Year's Horse: Teeth of the Dog

Teeth of the Dog is considered a long shot in this year's Preakness. The No. 2 post position has been beneficial to horses in the past, but not recently. 

The last horse to win the Preakness from the No. 2 gate was Snow Chief in 1986. 

Teeth of the Dog has raced three races this year, finishing no lower than third in every contest. He will need to step up his game if he wants to reverse history on Saturday.

Post Position: 3

Previous Winners: 11

This Year's Horse: Pretension

The last horse to win out of gate three was Prairie Bayou in 1993. Pretension will try and change that fact Saturday.

Pretension, the son of Bluegrass Cat, has finished first in two of his five races this year. He took second in another. 

Pretension faces long shot odds, but his post position could be worse. He will look to use his underrated sprinting ability for a hot start at Pimlico.

Post Position: 4

Previous Winners: 14

This Year's Horse: Zetterholm

Two horses have won the Preakness Stakes from the fourth gate since 2000. Curlin won in 2007 and Red Bullet grabbed first in 2000. 

The fourth gate lands Zetterholm right in the middle of this year's talented field. He will not have too far to go to get to the inside and will not get stuck on the inside rail.

Zetterholm has had a good year. He has raced four races, taking first in three of those, and second in the other. 

Post Position: 5

Previous Winners: 11

This Year's Horse: Went the Day Well

Went the Day Well was a favorite entering the Kentucky Derby, but finished fourth. He will be considered a favorite in this year's Preakness as well.

The fifth gate was kind to Shackleford last year. Before that, no horse had won from that position since 1976.

Went the Day Well has two first-place finishes in four races this year. He will be a force in this year's field. 

Post Position: 6

Previous Winners: 14

This Year's Horse: Creative Cause

Creative Cause will try and do what Smarty Jones did in 2004, win the Preakness from the sixth gate. 

Creative Cause finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby. That was the first time he ever finished worse than third in his racing career.

He ran a very solid race at Kentucky Oaks and will look to do the same at Pimlico. 

Creative Cause is certainly a contender and a threat to I'll Have Another's Triple Crown dreams.

Post Position: 7

Previous Winners: 13

This Year's Horse: Bodemeister

Bodemeister enters this year's Preakness as the favorite despite his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Bob Baffert knows his horse must close better at Pimlico, and the shorter track should make that idea a lot easier. 

Big Brown won from the seventh spot in 2008, and Lookin at Lucky won in 2010. Bodemeister is a better horse.

Look for Bodemeister to be in the mix until the very end on Saturday.

Post Position: 8

Previous Winners: 10

This Year's Horse: Daddy Nose Best

War Emblem and Bernardini both have won the Preakness from the eighth post position since 2000. Daddy Nose Best will look to join them.

Daddy Nose Best disappointed Kentucky Derby fans with his tenth place finish. He is a better horse, and has had a better year, than his performance at Kentucky Oaks showed.

Daddy Nose Best has finished first in two races this year. He will look to increase that number at Pimlico.

Post Position: 9

Previous Winners: 3

This Year's Horse: I'll Have Another

If you believe history does not lie then I'll Have Another's Triple Crown hopes are on thin ice. Gate nine is a historically dreadful starting position at Pimlico race track.

The last horse to win from this gate was Funny Cide in 2003. Before that you have to go all the way back to Canonero II in 1971.

I'll Have Another is trying to grab the second leg of his triple crown dreams. His post position does not suggest success but his elite closing speed does. 

I'll Have Another will need to fire out of the gates if he wants to have a chance at victory.

Post Position: 10

Previous Winners: 2

This Year's Horse: Optimizer

Optimizer may be the only horse jealous of I'll Have Another. He is slotted in the worst gate, damaging his Preakness chances. 

Real Quiet won the Preakness from this gate in 1998, before that it was Greek Money in 1962. 

Optimizer has raced in five races this year, including the Kentucky Derby, but has only finished above third once. 

He will not win the Preakness barring a miracle. 

Post Position: 11

Previous Winners: 2

This Year's Horse: Cozzetti

Cozzetti will need to run himself to the inside if he wants to win this year's Preakness. He holds the furthest gate from the rail. 

History has not been kind to horses running in Cozzetti's position. Point Given took first in 2001. The only winner before that came in 1926.

Cozzetti was already a long shot before the post positions were announced. He has raced three races this year, and took third in one of them.

Unless Cozzetti runs the race of his life, he will not win this year's edition of the Preakness.