2016 Belmont Stakes post positions draw: Time and TV schedule

Though we won’t get another rematch between Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner and Exaggerator, the one who denied Nyquist’s Triple Crown bid with a win in the Preakness Stakes, the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes should be plenty exciting. Nyquist has been pulled from the race due to a fever, unfortunately, and Exaggerator is considered the heavy favorite to win the 1 1/2-mile Test of the Champion.

It’s always the toughest race on the schedule, and if the weather is anything like it was in the Preakness, it would be that much tougher. Jockey Kent Desormeaux is very familiar with the Belmont, though, winning it back in 2009 atop Summer Bird and with four other finishes in the money. Last year he finished in third atop Keen Ice, and he’ll be on the favored Exaggerator for this year’s race.

If you’re betting on the Belmont Stakes you likely take post position very seriously, though in recent years there have been a good spread of horses winning from different spots. American Pharoah, winner of the race and the Triple Crown in 2015, won from post five, but the previous two winners won from far outside. Tonalist took the race from post 11 and Palace Malice won from 12th.

And the previous two years were won from post three, so, really, anything can happen. But wherever Exaggerator winds up starting from, the colt will still likely remain the favorite. That’s even if Suddenbreakingnews, Cherry Wine and Stradivari get a more desirable post position. Those are the three horses that have the best chance of challenging Exaggerator, at least, according to the latest odds.

Stradivari is one of the more interesting horses due to its propensity to rush out for early leads. The Belmont is a dangerous race for front-runners given its 1 1/2-mile length, but if a big enough lead is built and a steady enough pace is managed by Hall of Fame jockey John Velasquez, then the narrow upset could be on. Cherry Wine came second in the Preakness to Exaggerator and should also be watched closely.

Before the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday and before the full Belmont Stakes Racing Festival gets underway on Thursday, the post position draw is set for Wednesday, with a live stream of the draw beginning around 11 a.m. on NYRA.com. The draws for the Manhattan and Metropolitan Handicap Grade I races will also take place on the stream.

Time: 11 a.m. ET (with the Belmont draw closer to noon)