Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Morning Line Odds

• The 2022 Belmont Stakes will be held on June 11, 2022 at New York’s Belmont Park.
• 8 horses will compete in the Belmont Stakes including Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike.
• Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting will not enter the Belmont as his connections are targeting the Travers Stakes on August 27 at Saratoga.

The entries for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes have been finalized along with the post positions and morning line odds. I thought we’d see Mo Donegal as the race favorite but instead it was We The People at the top of NYRA oddsmaker David Aragona’s clipboard. Mo Donegal wasn’t far behind–he’s the 5-2 second choice ahead of Rich Strike (7-2), Creative Minister (6-1) and Nest (8-1). Barber Road is 10-1 with Golden Glider and Skippylongstocking assigned the longest odds in the race at 20-1.

As for the post positions, We The People draws the rail starting from the #1 position. This is a great draw for the only true speed in the race as jockey Flavian Plat will be able to save ground and consider his options as the race unfolds. The length of the Belmont Stakes makes it a very tactical race that favors a jockey able to adjust his strategy on the fly based on changing conditions. With just 8 horses in the field, post position shouldn’t be a huge factor. Worth noting that more Belmont winners have started in the #1 post position than any other (24). The last Belmont winner to start from the rail was a good one–2018 when Justify won the race and the Triple Crown. Since 2012, the only position with multiple winners is #2 with two winners. Another thing working in We The People’s favor–he’s got prior experience at Belmont Park. Five of the last 10 Belmont Stakes winners raced at the track before. In the 2022 field, We The People, Nest, Mo Donegal and Golden Gilder have prior Belmont racing experience.

There’s plenty of people that think We The People’s impressive 10 length plus win in the Peter Pan Stakes was due to running on an ‘off track’. He might have to run in the slop again this Saturday as the weather forecast is calling for ‘rain showers at times’. Assuming that the ‘rain showers’ don’t turn into a ‘veritable deluge’, Belmont groundskeepers should be able to keep the track in decent shape.

Also of note–Kentucky Oaks runner up Nest will get a five pound weight break as a female horse running against males. She’ll carry 121 pounds while the 7 male horses in the field carry 126. Stay tuned for plenty of Belmont coverage all week long.

BELMONT STAKES POST POSITIONS AND MORNING LINE ODDS