Belmont Stakes 2012 Post Positions: Prime Spot That Would Hand Horse a Victory

Betting on horse racing is an inexact science, but looking at the post positions of past winners can provide some essential insight when deciding how to allocate your cash.

Of course, there is no magical starting spot that guarantees victory, nor should there be. But there are some post positions that tend to yield better results at the Belmont Stakes.

Here are the top spots for a horse to start in at the legendary 1.5-mile track.

Post 7

Post No. 7 is the best starting place historically at the Belmont, with seven horses since 1979 winning after busting out of that slot.

Three of the last five Belmont champions have started in post seven, with Rags to Riches (2007), Da' Tara (2008) and Drosselmeyer (2010) all cruising to victory.

Five Sixteen (which is a horse, not just two random numbers) holds the prime spot this year, but the oddsmakers aren't loving his chances. Right now he's facing 50-1 odds (per FoxSports.com).

Post 5

Post 5 is the second-best starting slot, with six winners coming from that position since 1970. However, a horse in the five post hasn't won the Belmont since Hansel in 1991.

That may change this year, as the talented Dullahan will be starting from No. 5 on Saturday. Dullahan has already won one race this year, and he finished third at the Kentucky Derby.

He is currently the second favorite behind I'll Have Another (who is in post 11), with odds of 5-1 (per FoxSports.com).

Post 4

Post 4 has been very friendly to its inhabitants in recent runnings of the Belmont, with four horses winning from that slot in the last 25 years .

After Bet Twice took the title in 1987, Colonial Affair (1993), Bird Stone (2004) and Summer Bird (2009) followed suit.

Atigun will be starting in post four this year. He's won two races in 2012, but he's facing 30-1 odds for Saturday (per FoxSports.com).

For the complete list of post positions and betting odds, click here.

All historical info courtesy of horseracing.about.com