Belmont Stakes 2012 Post Positions: How Dullahan's Position Dooms His Upset Hope

Dullahan may be the new favorite to score the upset win at the Belmont, but his post position will prevent him from pulling out the victory.

Here are the official post positions for the 11-horse field:

1. Street Life

2. Unstoppable U

3. Union Rags

4. Atigun

5. Dullahan

6. Ravelo's Boy

7. Five Sixteen

8. Guyana Star Dweej

9. Paynter

10. Optimizer

12. My Adonis

Dullahan, who has the best odds at 9/5 (according to Bovada), has drawn the No. 5 post. If recent history is any indication, that could spell trouble. The No. 5 position hasn't yielded a winner since 1991.

If there is a horse to buck the struggling trend for the position, its Dullahan. The horse was given the No. 5 position in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished third. However, the Derby has a larger field, which makes it difficult to compare the two No. 5 positions.

In a 20-horse field, the No. 5 post position is still considered to be on the inside. In an 11-horse field, like the one Dullahan will see at the Belmont, the No. 5 spot is directly in the middle.

While the middle is generally a good place to start, the lack of winners is a glaring statistic that must be considered. The 2012 Preakness also provided a good example of why Dullahan may struggle because of his post.

At the Preakness, Went the Day Well drew the No. 5 position and came into the race as one of the favorites to win. However, he ended up finishing a disappointing 11th out of 12.

Much like Went the Day Well, Dullahan comes in as a favorite because his running style matches up well with the specific track. Will Dullahan suffer a similar fate as Went the Day Well and other No. 5 starters at Belmont before him?