Belmont Stakes Draw 2012: Which Horses Lucked Out?

There isn't much that can sidetrack I'll Have Another's bid for the Triple Crown, not even a poor post position.

The gates were assigned on Wednesday morning for the 2012 Belmont Stakes, which will take place on June 9, and though there were some horses whose chances of winning depended on that drawing, I'll Have Another wasn't one of them. Post position has proven to have little effect on his performances thus far in the two other legs of the Triple Crown.

Here's a look at which horses lucked out during Wednesday's drawing. You can see the complete list of post positions below. 

I'll Have Another—Gate No. 11

The odds-on favorite (4-5) didn't get excellent post position, but it hasn't mattered in more competitive fields, so why should it matter now?

For proof of just how little post position has meant to I'll Have Another in his quest for the Triple Crown, look at how he fared in the Kentucky Derby a month ago: He drew Gate No. 19, which is just about as bad as it can get in a field of 20 horses, but a few days later, he became the first Derby winner in history to start from that gate.

History at the Belmont paints a similarly bleak picture for I'll Have Another. According to CBS News, only two horses have won the race from Gate No. 11. Still, that's a better chance than he was given when he won the Derby.

If I'll Have Another can win from the second-to-last gate in an ultra-competitive field at Churchill Downs, there's no reason to believe he can't do it with lesser competition from just 10 horses on Saturday. 

Street Life—Gate No. 1

Street Life was the luckiest horse of them all when he drew the rail on Wednesday morning. Starting at the farthest position inside will give him the best shot at surging out to an early lead, and it will help him avoid getting caught in traffic on wide turns, which will be particularly important during this 1 1/2-mile race.

What will be equally important, though, is Street Life's ability to maintain a fast enough pace, and that will be tough to do against I'll Have Another and Union Rags.

This is Street Life's first entry into any of the Triple Crown races, and in last month's Wood Memorial, he finished sixth against 2012 Derby contenders such as Gemologist and Alpha, which isn't a good sign. But before that, he won two consecutive races, and as the son of 2007 Derby winner Street Sense, maybe he shouldn't be counted out. Plus, 23 of the last 106 Belmont winners have started from the same gate.

DRF.com writes that after Street Life lost by 7 1/4 lengths at the Wood Memorial, trainer Chad Brown suggested it was because he got stuck too far behind too early—which won't be the case out of Gate No. 1 on Saturday. If his trainer is right and all the horse needs is a good start, he could be a true competitor.

Union Rags—Gate No. 3

This is a critical juncture for Union Rags. Leading up to the Derby, there was perhaps no horse who was hyped so much (besides Bodemeister), but after a seventh-place finish, many were left to wonder why. After that, coupled with a third-place finish in the Florida Derby, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that maybe this horse was just all hype and no action.

It looks like the colt has simply been the victim of poor positioning and a jockey who didn't know how to lead him to victory. Both of those problems will be solved for this year's Belmont: Union Rags will be riding with a new jockey in John Velazquez, and he'll be starting out of Gate No. 3, which is just a little bit better than the No. 4 post position he was stuck with at Churchill Downs. (Union Rags' former jockey, Julien Leparoux, will be riding Atigun out of Gate No. 4.)

Matz insisted that Union Rags has been so unsuccessful in his past races because he's been bumped and caught in traffic, but this time, with his speed and a decent gate, he should be able to get off to a good start and avoid those problems altogether. Plus, 14 of the last 106 winners started from Gate No. 3.

This is the race we finally get to see what Union Rags is really made of. If he can't impress in this one, no more excuses.  

2012 Belmont Stakes Post Positions

1. Street Life—12-1

2. Unstoppable U—30-1

3. Union Rags—6-1

4. Atigun—30-1

5. Dullahan—5-1

6. Ravelo's Boy—50-1

7. Five Sixteen—50-1

8. Guyana Star Dweej—50-1

9. Paynter—8-1

10. Optimizer—20-1

11. I'll Have Another—4-5

12. My Adonis— 20-1

*Odds courtesy of CBSNews.com