Belmont Stakes 2012 Post Positions: How Draw Will Affect Latest Betting Lines

I'll Have Another's overwhelming favorite status is going to narrow as the announcement of the post positions moves some of the betting dollars. 

Union Rags and Dullahan will both close the gap. This is not surprising. I'll Have Another opened up as a 4-5 favorite. That's pretty incredible since a win would complete something that hasn't been accomplished in 34 years in the Triple Crown. These odds would have evened out a bit anyway, and the post positions will facilitate that. 

I'll Have Another drew the 11th post. This isn't the greatest spot, but it isn't the biggest obstacle either. Sarava won this race from the 11th post in 2002. Also, I'll Have Another doesn't really seem to care where he lines up. 

He was relegated way to the outside with the 19th post at the Kentucky Derby, and that certainly didn't slow him down. 

So these odds are not going to get closer due to I'll Have Another's post position, but because of two of the horses that should be his biggest competition. 

Post No. 3: Union Rags

Union Rags starts off at 6-1. This is the third-lowest of the opening odds, and it is not surprising. This colt was one of the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby.

He ended up getting caught up in traffic in that race and came in seventh, but it was a hard charging seventh.

Rags should have an easier time with the traffic in this race. It is a much smaller field and the third post is a nice spot for him. 

This has been a strong starting position as two of the last 11 winners have come from the third post. 

Post No. 5: Dullahan

Well, we've seen this before. Dullahan started from the fifth post at the Kentucky Derby. He finished third in that race, and like Union Rags, he was charging hard at the end.

Dullahan is considered the biggest challenge to I'll Have Another, and he starts off at 5-1. These odds should only shrink as they begin to reflect post position.

The fifth post has fielded the eventual winner four times since 2001. Da' Tara, in 2008, was the last winner from this spot.

I expect Dullahan's final odds to be around 3-1. 

2012 Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Odds

Odds courtesy of Belmont Stakes Twitter feed.

Post positions courtesy Belmont Stakes Twitter feed. 

Post Position	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Morning Line
No. 1	Street Life	C. Brown	J. Lezcano	12-1
No. 2	Unstoppable U	K. McPeek	J. Alvarado	30-1
No. 3	Union Rags	M. Matz	J. Velazquez	6-1
No. 4	Atigun	K. McPeek	J. Leparoux	30-1
No. 5	Dullahan	D. Romans	J. Castellano	5-1
No. 6	Ravelo's Boy	M. Azpurua	A. Solis	50-1
No. 7	Five Sixteen	D. Schettino	R. Napravnik	50-1
No. 8	Guyana Star Dweej	D. Shivmangal	undecided	50-1
No. 9	Paynter	B. Baffert	M. Smith	8-1
No. 10	Optimizer	D. Lukas	C. Nakatani	20-1
No. 11	I'll Have Another	D. O'Neill	M. Gutierrez	4-5
No. 12	My Adonis	K. Breen	R. Dominguez	20-