Preakness 2012 Post Positions: Which Horses Are Already Doomed by Their Slots?

Since the Preakness has a relatively small field of 11 horses as opposed to the chaos of the Kentucky Derby's 20-horse lineup, post positions may not seem like as big of a deal.

For the most part they aren't, as the likelihood of getting caught up in traffic is lessened significantly, but there are still certain spots that are disadvantageous.

Typically, horses and jockeys alike don't really like to be on the extreme inside or outside, and while it isn't necessarily a death sentence when such a spot is drawn, it takes a pretty special horse to overcome that. That doesn't seem to be the case in the Preakness, though, as long shots generally look to be starting in the less-coveted slots.

Here are three horses whose chances at Pimlico are already extremely slim due to poor starting positioning.

Cozzetti

Starting in the 11th and outermost position, Cozzetti will have an uphill climb if he intends to be a factor in the Preakness Stakes. Starting out that wide almost forces Cozzetti and his jockey Jose Lezcano to hang back off the pace, and while that may not seem like a big deal, it hurts Cozzetti because he enters the race without having any real options.

As much as jockeys may want to harness a horse's energy, the horse tends to dictate how the race will be run. If Cozzetti gets too overzealous from the start, then it could spell big trouble for him.

Even if he ends up with a decent trip, I'm not convinced that Cozzetti has the tools to make a late charge and win. He would likely have to overtake Bodemeister in the end and that just doesn't seem likely.

Tiger Walk

When a horse draws the No. 1 post position, there is a good chance that they will be boxed in at the start of the race, and while some are able to whether that storm, most can't bounce back from it. Long shot Tiger Walk was unfortunately stuck with that slot and it will likely make him a non-factor.

Very few expect Tiger Walk to do much of anything to begin with, but the inside spot is only going to make things tougher.

He does have the advantage of being ridden by all-time great jockey Kent Desormeaux, but even he will have a difficult time getting Tiger Walk where he needs to be. Tiger Walk will probably have to start at the front, but that simply isn't going to bode well for him.

Whether any other horse likes it or not, Bodemeister is going to set the pace and everyone else will be chasing him. If Tiger Walk tries to keep up with him early, then he won't have anything left when they're running for home.

Optimizer

Optimizer had become a bit of a trendy underdog pick ahead of the Kentucky Derby, but the large field proved to be too much for him to navigate, as he finished 11th and never made any type of push. Optimizer entered the Derby with three of his previous four races resulting in finishes of ninth or worse, so it's clear that unless everything lines up perfectly for him, the chances of him being a contender are quite slim.

Optimizer will be starting one slot from the extreme outside at No. 10 and that isn't going to do him any favors.

To be honest, I don't really like Optimizer's chances from anywhere in the field, but starting 10th may very well be a worst-case scenario for him. His jockey Corey Nakatani is very good and experienced at his craft, but when you don't have a top-level race horse, it's difficult to win from that spot.

Optimizer is little more than a filler horse at this point and won't stand a chance.

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