There is no Triple Crown threat heading into the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of action.
No, Medina Spirit will not run at Belmont Park after The New York Racing Association (NYRA) banned its owner, Bob Baffert, from entering the race. But the horse, which won the 2021 Kentucky Derby before testing positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone, could not have won the historic feat, regardless. Rombauer won the 2021 Preakness Stakes, removing all potential controversy.
MORE: Who won the Belmont Stakes in 2020? Highlights from last year's race
But they don't call the Belmont stakes a Triple Crown race for nothing, however. Check out the full list of post positions at the 2021 Preakness Stakes draw:
Belmont Stakes post positions 2021
The 2021 Belmont Stakes draw took place at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Eight horses will race in Saturday's race after Medina Spirit was banned from running in the race and after Rebel's Romance was announced to be out of the race due to an infection, according to Godolphin.
Preakness winner Rombauer enters in the third post position and has 3-to-1 odds to win the Belmont Stakes and Essential Quality emerges as the early favorite at 2-to-1 odds to win.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Bourbonic | 15/1 |
| 2 | Essential Quality | 2/1 |
| 3 | Rombauer | 3/1 |
| 4 | Hot Rod Charlie | 7/2 |
| 5 | France Go de Ina | 30/1 |
| 6 | Known Agenda | 6/1 |
| 7 | Rock Your World | 9/2 |
| 8 | Overtook | 20/1 |
What is the best post position in horse racing?
As with all races, horses and tracks, it varies. At the Belmont Stakes, the No. 1 post position to draw ... is No. 1. A total of 24 horses have won from that position, nine more than Posts 3 and 5, tied for second with 15 winners produced apiece. Post 7 is in third place with 14 winners, while Posts 2 (12) and 11 (10) have also produced double-digit winners.
Here is the complete list of Belmont Stakes winners at each post position:
| Post position | Belmont Stakes winners |
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 8 |
| 7 | 14 |
| 8 | 7 |
| 9 | 4 |
| 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 1 |
| 13 | 1 |
Belmont Stakes winners by post position
(Since the use of a post positions in 1904)
No races in 1911-12
- Post 1 — 24 winners: Sweep (1910); Friar Rock (1916); Hourless (1917); Johren (1918); Sir Barton (1919); Man o' War (1920); Pillory (1922); Mad Play (1924); American Flag (1925); Chance Shot (1927); Gallant Fox (1930); Twenty Grand (1931); Johnstown (1939); Bimelech (1940); Assault (1946); Citation (1948); Damascus (1967); Arts And Letters (1969); Riva Ridge (1972); Secretariat (1973); A.P. Indy (1992); Touch Gold (1997); Empire Maker (2003); Justify (2018);
- Post 2 — 12 winners: Peter Pan (1907); Colin (1908); Joe Madden (1909); The Finn (1915); Zev (1923); Crusader (1926); Count Fleet (1943); Counterpoint (1951); Little Current (1974); Go And Go (1990); Tabasco Cat (1994); Tapwrit (2017);
- Post 3 — 15 winners: Prince Eugene (1913); Luke McLuke (1914); Grey Lag (1921); Faireno (1932); Peace Chance (1934); Omaha (1935); Whirlaway (1941); One Count (1952); Needles (1956); Pass Catcher (1971); Affirmed (1978); Temperence Hill (1980); Commendable (2000); Ruler On Ice (2011); Union Rags (2012);
- Post 4 — 10 winners: Tanya (1905); Vito (1928); Blue Larkspur (1929); Shut Out (1942); Gallant Man (1957); Jaipur (1962); Bet Twice (1987); Colonial Affair (1993); Birdstone (2004); Summer Bird (2009);
- Post 5 — 15 winners: Pasteurized (1938); Native Dancer (1953); High Gun (1954); Nashua (1955); Chateaugay (1963); Quadrangle (1964); Amberoid (1966); High Echelon (1970); Avatar (1975); Seattle Slew (1977); Summing (1981); Risen Star (1988); Hansel (1991); Da' Tara (2008); American Pharoah (2015);
- Post 6 — Eight winners: Delhi (1904); Burgomaster (1906); Bounding Home (1944); Middleground (1950); Celtic Ash (1960); Hail To All (1965); Swale (1984); Lemon Drop Kid (1999);
- Post 7 — 14 winners: Hurryoff (1933); War Admiral (1937); Pavot (1945); Phalanx (1947); Capot (1949); Sherluck (1961); Stage Door Johnny (1968); Coastal (1979); Caveat (1983); Easy Goer (1989); Editor's Note (1996); Rags to Riches (2007); Drosselmeyer (2010); Sir Winston (2019);
- Post 8 — Seven winners: Cavan (1958); Sword Dancer (1959); Bold Forbes (1976); Creme Fraiche (1985); Danzig Connection (1986); Jazil (2006); Tiz the Law (2020):
- Post 9 — Four winners: Granville (1936); Victory Gallop (1998); Point Given (2001); Afleet Alex (2005);
- Post 10 — One winner: Thunder Gulch (1995);
- Post 11 — Three winners: Conquistador Cielo (1982); Sarava (2002); Tonalist (2014);
- Post 12 — One winner: Palace Malice (2013);
- Post 13 — One winner: Creator (2016);