Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby before sitting out the Preakness Stakes. He is back in action for the Belmont, but Preakness winner Early Voting has opted not to participate in the event.
So, if we’re going to see a two-time winner among the three biggest races on the horse racing calendar, it will have to be Rich Strike.
Rich Strike comes into this race with a bit more pressure on him than when he was an 80-1 long shot at the Kentucky Derby. He will instead be among the favorites for this race. The eight-horse field, however, is still wide open with racehorses like Mo Donegal, Barber Road and Nest looking to give Rich Strike a run for his money.
On Tuesday, the Belmont Stakes field started to fully take shape as the race track hosted the draw for the event. Here’s a look at which horse drew which post and how much post position has mattered at the Belmont Stakes in the past.
MORE: Why Preakness winner Early Voting isn’t running the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes post positions 2022
The Belmont Stakes draw for 2022 was held on Tuesday, June 7 at approximately 11:05 a.m. ET. We the People drew into the No. 1 gate on the rail. The Flavian Prat-ridden horse was the favorite entering the draw and should only benefit from getting the Belmont’s most favorable post position.
Elsewhere, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will run out of the No. 4 gate after winning from the 20th gate at the Derby. Mo Donegal, who finished fifth in the Derby after a slow start on the rail, will run from the No. 5 post, a spot that is more favorable to his running style.
The race’s lone filly, Nest, will operate out of the No. 3 post while Creative Minister, the fifth of five horses that open with better than 10-1 odds to win the race, will occupy the No. 5 gate.
Below is a look at where each horse was placed within the starting gate, along with the betting odds for each to win.
What is the best post position in horse racing?
The best position in horse racing varies based on both the track and the type of horse running in each spot. Some horses like to have more space when they run, so they often do their best on the outside gates when they have space with which to work.
Meanwhile, the shortest path to victory comes on the rail. As such, getting the No. 1 gate can be an advantage, but it can also lead to issues for more claustrophobic horses. Why? Because they not only have to wait in the gate longer, but they are also granted little space to maneuver on either side.
As such, if those horses get nervous, they may stray from the crowd and hang back during the race to find space. Or they might have to work their way to the outside, which can cause them to lose ground.
That said, the Belmont Stakes tends to favor the horse on the rail. The No. 1 gate has produced the winning horse a whopping 24 times in the history of the race. That’s nine more than the second-most favorable gates on the course, Gate 3 and 5 (15).
Suffice to say that the rail-winner will be at an advantage in this race, as they won’t have to cover as much ground in the longest of the Triple Crown races.
Belmont Stakes winners by post position
The Belmont Stakes first implemented a starting gate in 1904. Since then, every gate numbered 1-13 has produced a winner while six gates have produced at least 10 winners.
While Gate 1 has produced the most winners in Belmont Stakes history, it hasn’t been the most productive gate in recent years. Since 2000, two gates have produced three winners; they are Gates 3 and 7
Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1904.
