Belmont Stakes 2015 Post Positions: Latest Odds, Historical Stats for Each Slot

American Pharoah will break from the No. 5 post as he attempts to make history by winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes on Saturday. The talented colt can become the first horse in nearly four decades to win the Triple Crown after already capturing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

The Belmont was given the moniker the "Test of the Champion" because if a horse is fortunate enough to emerge victorious from the first two legs, the third leg is the toughest test of all. Covering 12 furlongs while racing for the third time in five weeks is a major challenge.

So let's check out how the field for this year's Belmont Stakes, which is the 147th running of the storied race, shapes up. That's followed by some statistical history based on post positions and an examination of how the draw could play a role this time around.

2015 Belmont Stakes Field

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Mubtaahij	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Mike de Kock	14-1
2	Tale of Verve	Gary Stevens	Dallas Stewart	20-1
3	Madefromlucky	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	14-1
4	Frammento	Mike Smith	Nick Zito	40-1
5	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	5-7
6	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin	6-1
7	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	25-1
8	Materiality	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	13-2

History of Post Positions

Post	No. of Winners
1	23
2	11
3	13
4	9
5	13
6	7
7	11
8	3

Impact on This Year's Race

Obviously, the first thing that stands out is the success of the No. 1 post position. It's interesting because every trainer is hoping to avoid that spot in the Kentucky Derby, where the field is usually around 20 deep, but would welcome it at the Belmont.

Starting from the extreme inside helps since a jockey can easily get his horse to the rail. That's an advantageous position in a longer race because every ounce of energy the horse can save will come in handy during the extended stretch run.

Mubtaahij will start from the No. 1 post on Saturday. Wayne Coffey of the New York Daily News notes the horse's trainer, Mike de Kock, is hopeful the position can help complete the upset, but he's also extremely complimentary of Pharoah.

"I've rarely seen a horse move the way he does," de Kock said. "I've rarely seen a horse train the way he does. If the jockey didn't pull him up, he looks like he'd be ready to go around again."

Outside of the benefits of starting on the inside, there really isn't a massive difference in post positions.

Perhaps starting on the outside is a slight knock against Materiality, but it's not enough to completely rule out a horse of his caliber. And the same goes for Frosted, who will break from the only other active post position without double-digit winners.

In fact, Rick Snider of the Washington Post Express believes they are two of the three horses with a realistic shot of denying the Triple Crown bid:

That said, this race is all about American Pharoah. He's in a solid post position (14 winners), and jockey Victor Espinoza has shown a terrific ability to read the horse early on to set him up for success in the latter stages of the race.

The biggest question is whether he'll be able to handle the distance. As mentioned, these horses aren't used to racing such an aggressive schedule at this stage of their careers, and when you factor in it's the longest of the Triple Crown races, it's easy to see why so many champions fall short in the third leg.

Post positions shouldn't be a major factor. Then again, if it's Mubtaahij that crosses the finish line first, perhaps the horses' placement in the starting gate deserved more attention all along.