Belmont Stakes 2013 Contenders: How Post Positions Will Affect Favorites

Now that the post positions have been revealed for the 2013 Belmont Stakes, it is far easier to project how the top contenders will fare in the context of their respective starting slots.

America's Best Racing tweeted the information regarding posts, connections and morning-line odds on Wednesday:

As expected, the three favorites are Orb, Revolutionary and Oxbow in that order. Orb won the Kentucky Derby, while Revolutionary finished third at Churchill Downs. Oxbow thwarted Orb's bid for the Triple Crown with a wire-to-wire triumph at the Preakness.

All three figure to be significant factors at Belmont Park this coming Saturday and have been affected by the post position draw in various ways.

Let's take a closer look at the ramifications behind the top contenders' positions as they prepare for the Run for the Carnations this weekend.

Post Positions and Complete Field

Post No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Frac Daddy	Ken McPeek	Alan Garcia	30-1
2	Freedom Child	Tom Albertrani	Luis Saez	8-1
3	Overanalyze	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	12-1
4	Giant Finish	Anthony W. Dutrow	Edgar Prado	30-1
5	Orb	Shug McGaughey	Joel Rosario	3-1
6	Incognito	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Irad Ortiz Jr.	20-1
7	Oxbow	D. Wayne Lukas	Gary Stevens	5-1
8	Midnight Taboo	Todd Pletcher	Garrett Gomez	30-1
9	Revolutionary	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	9-2
10	Will Take Charge	D. Wayne Lukas	Jon Court	20-1
11	Vyjack	Rudy Rodriguez	Julien Leparoux	20-1
12	Palace Malice	Todd Pletcher	Mike E. Smith	15-1
13	Unlimited Budget	Todd Pletcher	Rosie Napravnik	8-1
14	Golden Soul	Dallas Stewart	Robby Albarado	10-1

Orb (3-1)

History would have figured better on Oxbow's side had he drawn here, since Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Risen Star and 1991's Hansel were all Preakness winners who backed it up with a victory at Belmont Park.

However, that is not the case with Orb, and Hansel's triumph over two decades ago was the last time a horse won from post No. 5.

Even with that sort of backdrop seemingly going against the grain for Orb and jockey Joel Rosario, the horse remains the favorite to win, which speaks volumes to the respect he has from oddsmakers.

In drawing the No. 1 post position at Pimlico, Rosario could not get Orb to the outside quickly enough, and the traffic problems combined with the slower pace doomed his Triple Crown bid.

Orb is flanked by long shots Giant Finish and Incognito, so neither horse should give him much trouble. As long as Rosario can stay within striking distance entering the final turn of the 1.5-mile journey, Orb has the strength and stamina to thrive at the finish and capture another Triple Crown jewel.

Revolutionary (9-2)

The horse that stacks up best with Orb in terms of size and speed combination is Revolutionary, which explains why he beats out Oxbow as the No. 2 favorite as of now.

Javier Castellano has come up just short in this race, finishing runner-up twice, but does boast a Preakness win on his impressive resume. He's one of the most consistent jockeys in the business, and Revolutionary shouldn't experience a letdown from three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel, who rode him at Churchill Downs.

Renowned trainer Todd Pletcher has five entries at Belmont Park in his last-ditch attempt to notch a Triple Crown victory this season, and Revolutionary gives him the best chance to do so.

Afleet Alex dominated by seven lengths from the No. 9 spot in 2005, which was a nice way to prove that his Preakness triumph was no fluke.

Considering the closing speed that Revolutionary showed at the Grade III Withers Stakes in addition to his Louisiana Derby win over a strong field, perhaps a similar performance is in store.

Since there is little resistance between the top three perceived favorites, this is somewhat of a dream draw for horse racing fans.

It remains to be seen who will dictate the pace, but even if it's quicker early on, Revolutionary proved at the Kentucky Derby he can hang tough regardless of circumstances—on a sloppy track at that.

Oxbow (5-1)

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens will have to do an even more masterful job than he did in Baltimore to win the Preakness. What helps is his immense experience at this track and his status as a three-time Belmont champion.

The big problem is that Oxbow isn't the most physically formidable colt and is known more as a sprinter than anything. That is a big reason why he was so effective at Pimlico's shorter track.

Then again, an extremely impressive cruising speed was what allowed Oxbow to remain out in front in the Preakness, and it seemed he could have gone even faster had he been pushed harder.

Stevens came out of a seven-year retirement to ride Oxbow and clearly wouldn't have done so if he didn't think the horse was a legitimate contender. Unfortunately, the 50-year-old jockey experienced sore ribs earlier in the week but said on Twitter that tests came back with encouraging results:

As long as Stevens is himself, Oxbow has a chance. Three of the past six winners have come from the No. 7 slot, and as is the case with Orb and Revolutionary, the horses in his closest proximity have little chance to finish in the money.