Belmont Stakes Draw 2016: Full Schedule and Live-Stream Info for Post Positions

The post position draw for the 2016 Belmont Stakes takes place on Wednesday, the results of which will provide a better gauge of which horses will most prominently contend in this year's Triple Crown finale.

The New York Racing Association's website is the place for online streaming coverage, but membership is required to view the post reveal as it happens. The full schedule of events can be found through the race's official website.

No matter where the horses are slotted out of the starting gates for Saturday's race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, Exaggerator figures to be the prohibitive favorite. After winning the Preakness Stakes and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby before then, there's plenty of substance to support Exaggerator as the colt to beat in the Test of the Champion.

Below is a list of probable entries for the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes, along with odds from Oddschecker and a preview of the race.

Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	Keith Desormeaux	11-8
Suddenbreakingnews	Mike Smith	Donnie Von Hemel	5-1
Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	Dale Romans	8-1
Stradivari	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	8-1
Destin	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	10-1
Brody's Cause	Luis Saez	Dale Romans	10-1
Lani	Koji Maeda	Mikio Matsunaga	12-1
Governor Malibu	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	16-1
Creator	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Steve Asmussen	20-1
Trojan Nation	Aaron Gryder	Patrick Gallagher	—

2016 Belmont Stakes Preview

The Preakness was plagued by rain, but that didn't prevent Exaggerator from halting Nyquist's Triple Crown bid. Unfortunately, the latter is ill and won't be able to compete at Belmont Park in what would've been an intriguing rubber match.

Not only did Exaggerator prove himself in the prior two Triple Crown showcases, but he also ran to a 6 ½-length triumph at the Santa Anita Derby on a sloppy track.

In what will be an unprecedented 1 ½-mile jaunt for the horses in the Belmont Stakes field, no one appears more cut out to run well than Exaggerator. His history suggests he has the physicality to handle the arduous journey, and it helps to have jockey Kent Desormeaux in the irons.

Desormeaux won the 2009 Belmont Stakes aboard Summer Bird and owns four other finishes in the money, including a third-place effort last year with Keen Ice.

Pedigree is important to keep an eye on when determining how a horse will handle such a lengthy run in Elmont, which is why Suddenbreakingnews is garnering considerable hype ahead of Saturday's showcase.

Trainer Donnie Von Hemel spoke in late May about why Suddenbreakingnews figures to run well at Belmont Park, per American Racehorse:

"

It looks like with the way he ran in the Derby and with his pedigree the mile-and-a-half distance should suit him well. It's one of the few mile-and-a-half races we have left in America so I think we need to go run in it. Pace is always an issue and we'll have to see how that shapes up, but he can go a mile-and-a-half so we’ll do what we can do.

"

Per Horse Racing Nation, Suddenbreakingnews is a descendant of Afleet Alex, the 2005 Preakness and Belmont champion, which bodes well for his outlook. He also proved plenty capable of handling 1 ¼ miles at the Kentucky Derby, placing fifth but closing strong to nearly finish in the top three, just behind Gun Runner and Mohaymen.

While Cherry Wine's runner-up finish at the Preakness was encouraging and worthy of such high praise from oddsmakers, the more viable horse to bet on as a winner among the No. 3 co-favorites is Stradivari.

After two dominant prep wins by 11 ¼ and 14 ½ lengths, Stradivari made his graded-stakes debut at Pimlico Race Course and didn't disappoint despite tough conditions, finishing a half-length behind Nyquist in fourth.

NYRA handicapper Nick Tammaro opined that Stradivari could use his front-running background to his advantage:

Two-time Belmont Stakes winner and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is slated to get the mount for Stradivari again. Now that Velazquez has gotten a feel for him in Triple Crown competition, perhaps Stradivari's best is yet to come—and will come to fruition in Elmont.

This year's Run for the Carnations is anticlimactic compared to the two prior additions. California Chrome and American Pharoah both had a shot at the Triple Crown, with American Pharoah succeeding last year.

The projected 2016 Belmont Stakes field promises to bring depth and quality, though, and while Exaggerator is the clear horse to beat, there is a case to be made for several others.