Belmont Stakes 2016: Post Positions, Odds and Race Schedule for Elmont

The 2016 Belmont Stakes post position draw took place on Wednesday, and Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator was revealed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the 148th running of the "Test of the Champion."

Exaggerator also finished second at the Kentucky Derby and is the clear standout in the field of 13. Stradivari, who made his graded-stakes debut at the Preakness, checked in as the No. 2 favorite at 5-1.

Below is a look at the complete post positions and odds for the upcoming Triple Crown showcase at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. That's followed by a preview of Saturday's race, which has a post time of 6:32 p.m. ET and has NBC on TV coverage.

Post No.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Morning-Line Odds
1	Governor Malibu	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	12-1
2	Destin	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	6-1
3	Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	Dale Romans	8-1
4	Suddenbreakingnews	Mike Smith	Donnie Von Hemel	10-1
5	Stradivari	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	5-1
6	Gettysburg	Paco Lopez	Steve Asmussen	30-1
7	Seeking The Soul	Florent Geroux	Dallas Stewart	30-1
8	Forever d'Oro	Jose Ortiz	Dallas Stewart	30-1
9	Trojan Nation	Aaron Gryder	Paddy Gallagher	30-1
10	Lani	Yutaka Take	Mikio Matsunaga	20-1
11	Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	Keith Desormeaux	9-5
12	Brody's Cause	Luis Saez	Dale Romans	20-1
13	Creator	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Steve Asmussen	10-1

For Saturday's race schedule, visit BelmontStakes.com.

2016 Belmont Stakes Preview

Al Bello/Getty Images

If this were a shorter track, starting so far away from the rail may have worked somewhat to Exaggerator's disadvantage, since jockey Kent Desormeaux has struggled with traffic issues in the past.

But with 1 ½ miles of room to operate and the amount of previously demonstrated stamina and strength Exaggerator has put forth, the No. 11 post shouldn't be worrisome for the colt's connections.

The Preakness was beset by rainy conditions, yet that didn't stop Exaggerator from putting a halt to Nyquist's Triple Crown bid with a victory. Exaggerator's 6 ½-length romp at the Santa Anita Derby in the slop is further proof he's cut out for the 12-furlong journey at Belmont Park.

What should give Stradivari advocates hope is the fact he'll be among the freshest horses in Elmont. He has raced only four times, but his two wins were by 14 ½ lengths and 11 ¼ lengths.

Having finished only a half-length off Cherry Wine and Nyquist at Pimlico Race Course, Stradivari showed he could hang with the best in horse racing. Whether he has enough stamina to go 1 ½ miles is unclear due to his inexperience, but if he doesn't push too hard early on, trainer Todd Pletcher may well have a winner.

A lack of competitive reps didn't necessarily hinder Stradivari at the Preakness amid adverse conditions, as Pletcher pointed out.

"He reacted opposite of the way most horses react when they get hit with slop in the face for the first time," said Pletcher, per David Grening of the Daily Racing Form (via ESPN.com). "Most horses back off and climb a little bit. He actually got a little more aggressive, so I think that was an education for him."

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has won the Belmont twice, which also helps Stradivari's cause.

Suddenbreakingnews is a savvy bet based on his pedigree. A descendant of damsire and 2005 Preakness and Belmont champion Afleet Alex (h/t Horse Racing Nation), he finished second to Creator in the Arkansas Derby before running fifth at the Kentucky Derby.

With plenty of time to recover since Churchill Downs, where he made a big push late to nearly finish in the money, Suddenbreakingnews is a horse to watch.

Destin tends to like setting the pace, whereas Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine is a late runner like Suddenbreakingnews. That should create an interesting dynamic between the quartet of talented horses from post Nos. 2 through 5 before the final stretch.

In terms of picking a winner, though, it's hard to go against Exaggerator. With a better start at the Kentucky Derby, he could've been going for a Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes, and he is as suited as anyone to take on the lengthy trip at Belmont Park.