2015 Belmont Stakes: Post Positions and Odds for Horse Entries in 147th Race
American Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert probably entered Wednesday's post position draw with little optimism for a favorable starting location in the 2015 Belmont Stakes. After all, the Triple Crown hopeful hadn't been very lucky in that department of late.
In the Kentucky Derby, Pharoah drew the No. 18 gate, sending him far out wide and forcing him to make up plenty of additional ground in a heavily contested race—the colt would later start from the No. 16 gate due to scratches. In the Preakness, Pharoah drew the dreaded No. 1 gate—a position that had previously yielded just one winner since 1961.
On both occasions, Pharoah's sheer talent allowed him to emerge victorious. Now, he aims to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. So, here's the burning question: How did the colt fare in the post draw and what are his updated odds to win? Let's take a look at the answer to that inquiry.
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Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Odds
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 14-1 |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 20-1 |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 16-1 |
| 4 | Frammento | 40-1 |
| 5 | American Pharoah | 2-3 |
| 6 | Frosted | 6-1 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | 25-1 |
| 8 | Materiality | 13-2 |
Post Position Analysis
There we have it. American Pharoah finally drew a starting position that actually improves his chances of winning a Triple Crown race. The No. 5 gate has been historically solid in the Belmont Stakes, producing a total of 13 winners, including 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
Baffert briefly shared his thoughts on the colt's starting position during an interview with the Associated Press (via ESPN.com): "I've always liked the five. It's a number I always do well with. More important is the horse is doing well."
The No. 5 gate gives Pharoah (2-3) the opportunity to breeze to a solid position near the front of the pack and keep close to the rail in an effort to salvage stamina for a late-race push. That's a luxury he wasn't afforded in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, making him a big threat to close out this year's Triple Crown series with yet another win.
Mubtaahij (14-1) hasn't been getting much press entering the Belmont Stakes—probably due to his eight-place showing in the Kentucky Derby; however, while the No. 1 post can sometimes provide problems, it should be said that the position has yielded the most winners by far (23) in the history of the Belmont Stakes.
Tale of Verve (20-1) was impressive in the Preakness Stakes, rallying from well behind to finish in second. He'll get the start out of the No. 2 gate in the Belmont Stakes and will look to become the 12th winner from that position.
Madefromlucky (16-1) makes his first Triple Crown appearance after winning the Peter Pan Stakes, and he drew a nice starting position in the No. 3 gate (13 previous winners). Interestingly enough, this was the same situation for Tonalist in last year's Belmont Stakes, and he went on to upset Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome.
Frammento is the race's long shot (40-1). The colt has yet to win a race other than his Maiden Special Weight and is coming off of an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Nine previous horses have won from the No. 4 gate, and it will take quite a miracle for that number to jump to 10 this year.
The second favorite in the 2015 Belmont Stakes is Frosted (6-1). He'll be starting right alongside Pharoah in the No. 6 gate—a position that has produced seven previous winners. Frosted has amazing closing ability, but the colt does tend to struggle out of the gate. He'll need to remain close to the pace if he is to have a chance at Belmont Park.
Keen Ice (25-1) could be a sleeper, as the colt does have a distance pedigree. He'll start from the No. 7 post, which is a position that has enjoyed some previous success, boasting 11 winners. Although, keep in mind that like Frammento, Keen Ice hasn't won a race since his Maiden Special Weight.
Materiality is the race's third favorite (13-2), and he'll be starting from the outside in gate No. 8. Historically, the position hasn't been favorable, yielding just five winners. Materiality needs a good start at Belmont to avoid getting caught in traffic—a factor that led to his sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
All Belmont Stakes odds provided by Odds Shark.
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