Belmont Stakes 2013 Post Positions: Horses That Have Ultimate Edge

In a 12-furlong marathon race like the Belmont Stakes, post positions are extremely valuable to a horse's success.

Post positions, combined with the 1.5-mile track, have proven to be the most crucial factors in the 144 previous runnings of the Run for the Carnations, and that's not about to change at the 2013 Belmont Stakes.

Before we get into the horses who have the ultimate edge in Saturday's 145th running of the Test of Champions, let's take a look at the post positions and complete information for each contender.

2013 Belmont Stakes 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

*Odds via the Daily Racing Form.

Now that you've seen the entire field for the race, let's talk about the horses that have the ultimate edge because of their post position on Saturday.

Orb

The 3-1 odds certainly help bolster the argument that Orb is the consensus favorite to win the Stakes, but there are other factors to consider.

For one, Orb is built for this track. Trainer Claude "Shug" McGaughey III has trained Orb to grind it out in lengthy tracks, which definitely works in Orb's favor.

Also working in the horse's favor is his post position.

Starting from the fifth spot, Orb shouldn't get bogged down next to the rail, and history says success will come from the No. 5 position. 

According to Belmont-Stakes info, the horse that comes from the fifth post spot has won this race 13 times, certainly giving Orb an edge on Saturday.

Frac Daddy

Don't let the 30-1 odds fool you—Alan Garcia has one of the best chances to pull an upset on Saturday aboard Frac Daddy.

History shows that the first post position has been kind to its contenders, as 23 winners have come from the No. 1 spot, which is the most of any of the 11 post positions. In fact, the next closest post positions with the most success are the third and fifth, with 13 wins apiece.

If you're worried about how Frac Daddy has been running, let Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch put your mind at ease.

Combine Frac Daddy's post position with his practice times this week, and you've got a legitimate contender in the 145th Run for the Carnations.

Overanalyze

Todd Pletcher-trained horses should never be counted out, especially when they're starting from the third post position.

As mentioned earlier, the third post position has led to 13 Belmont Stakes wins, and that's where John Velazquez and Overanalyze will start from.

Overanalyze's 12-1 odds should be favorable to bettors and ESPN's Jay Cronley certainly agrees, as the racing analyst picked Overanalyze to win the Stakes.

Under Pletcher, Overanalyze should be ready to go, and with a favorable post position, don't count him out at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer