Belmont Stakes Draw 2012: How Post Draw Will Impact Top Horses

For some horses, the results of the post draw will make or break their chances of winning the Belmont. 

Unfortunately for the rest of the field, though, I'll Have Another isn't one of those horses. 

As Doug O'Neill's prize colt prepares to make his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, the rest of the Belmont Stakes contenders will be anxiously awaiting their post positions, which will be drawn on Wednesday, June 6 at 11 a.m. The draw will be broadcast on HRTV and it will be live streamed at the Belmont Stakes' official Web site.

Here's how the results could affect the chances of some of the top contenders in this year's race. 

I'll Have Another

This is a horse who can do it all. He can win from one of the worst post positions, like he did at the Kentucky Derby back in early May, when he became the first contender to ever win the race from Gate No. 19. If he can do it from there, he can do it from anywhere. 

It's a testament to the skills of jockey Mario Gutierrez that he can ride I'll Have Another to victory from such an unfavorable position, where it's easy to get caught wide on the turns and it's very difficult to find a way to get inside on the track.

Fortunately for Gutierrez and I'll Have Another, that really has no bearing on their strategy, which is to hang back, seek out a good position toward the end of the race and then make a charge in the final furlong while the rest of the field tires out. 

Timing will be especially important at the Belmont, which is the longest of the three Triple Crown races at 1 1/2 miles. I'll Have Another has proven to have the stamina to excel even on the longest tracks, so the rest of the field will have to beware once again. 

Union Rags

Union Rags is the opposite of I'll Have Another: For him, post position can mean everything.

Objectively, the horse has as much talent as anyone in the field—as long as he doesn't get caught in traffic on the wide turns of a track, as has been the case in both the Kentucky Derby and in the Florida Derby, where he finished seventh.

Partly to blame for the horse's inefficiencies in both races was jockey Julien Leparoux, who has since been replaced by John Velazquez. The future Hall of Famer was unavailable to ride Union Rags at the Derby because of a commitment to 2011 Derby winner Animal Kingdom. 

During pre-Belmont workouts, Union Rags has looked much better with Velazquez, according to the Philadelphia Daily News' Dick Jerardi, and Velazquez is confident he can get into early position with the horse and maintain it for the entirety of the race. 

As he told Jerardi, "I get paid to win, not to finish second."

Dullahan

Dullahan hasn't raced since the Derby, when he finished third after starting out of Gate No. 5—a pretty favorable position in a field of 20. This just might be the horse with the best chance of taking down I'll Have Another, as long as he comes out of Wednesday's draw with a similarly favorable post position. 

In nine starts, Dullahan has two wins, two places and three shows. Like I'll Have Another, he's a horse who excels when it comes to making a late surge to register a come-from-behind victory. 

Without Bodemeister in the Belmont field, this is the horse I'll Have Another will have to worry about the most. He has speed—he ran a half-mile in 45.97 seconds during training in Elmont this week, according to The Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees—and he and jockey Javier Castellano have the right strategy to challenge the front-runner.

If anyone is going to thwart a certain Triple Crown bid, it will be this horse, who is well-rested while I'll Have Another will be racing for the third time since May 5. It all depends on his draw.