A good-sized field of 14 three-year-olds, comprising a dozen colts, a solitary gelding and a lone filly, will line up at 6:36 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, June 8th, at Belmont Park for the $1,000,000 Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the US Triple Crown. Located in Elmont, New York, the track is amongst North America's largest with a deep sandy dirt track and an 1100-foot long straight, and the 12 furlongs classic goes off as Race # 11 of a 13-race card.

Over this extended distance, the draw has been of little consequence in most years, but in the crowded field those on the inner might find themselves in awkward spots. Fortunately, most of the fancied runners are drawn five or wider. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas put it succinctly: "It's nice for the press to have something to write about today, but, really, at a mile and a half with that long run and the sweeping turns, we have a tendency to overanalyze the post position draw. I'm more concerned about who is around me and what they're going to do than what gate we got."

Most of the principal contenders from the 2010 crop are present in the line-up, with Bob Baffert's Code West (by Lemon Drop Kid) being perhaps the only notable defector – last year Baffert's nominee, Paynter, had run a grand second to Union Rags. The unexplained defeat of Kentucky Derby winner Orb (by Malibu Moon) in last month's Preakness Stakes, which fell to Oxbow (by Awesome Again), means that there is no Triple Crown to be won this year, but both the victors of those banner events are back for more. Should either of this pair complete a classic double, it will go a long way to cement the winner's reputation as champion three-year-old, an accolade which is disproportionately important in the USA.

Also declared to start are the place-getters from the Kentucky Derby, Golden Soul (by Perfect Soul) and Revolutionary (by War Pass), who had finished second and third, respectively, in the "Run For The Roses". The only filly in the field, Unlimited Budget (by Street Sense), who carries 5 lbs. less than her rivals, is one of the five Todd Pletcher representatives; his team also includes Overanalyze (by Dixie Union). Incidentally, should they all start, this would constitute a record for highest number of runners from a single barn in the final leg of the Triple Crown. Completing the short list of fancied contenders is Thomas Albertrani's ward, the runaway Peter Pan Stakes winner, Freedom Child, who like Orb is a son of Malibu Moon.

Saratoga Racetrack in upstate New York has earned the label "graveyard of favourites" but that appellation could be applied with equal force to the Belmont Stakes. During each of the past seven years, the public choice has tasted defeat, and that too in emphatic manner, with five of those failures not even salvaging a place.

All that does not augur well for Orb, but then a horse does not know whether he is fancied at the betting windows. At this point of time it appears likely that he "bounced" in the Preakness Stakes, for he had won all four of his earlier starts this year and seemed to possess a degree of superiority to his rivals. What's more, he has worked perfectly since and is back in his comfort zone, as he is based at Belmont Park so has "home track advantage". The trip appears to hold no terrors for the Claude McGaughey-trainee who has Joel Rosario in the saddle and should start at around 3 to 1.

“In the Preakness nothing went right,” said McGaughey. “The one post – I really thought there would be more speed in the race and spread out to get good position. That didn’t happen. I’m sure when the other riders had him down inside they weren’t going to let him out especially as slow as they were going and I think the racetrack was different. It was very loose. It just wasn’t our day. I think if things go right on Saturday, we'll see a different horse than we saw two weeks ago.”

How the money will actually flow on the afternoon is uncertain, but the most likely second choice, at about 5 to 1, will be the Lukas-trained Oxbow. This game colt will have the recently un-retired Gary Stevens continuing to do duty at the controls, and as a great judge of pace, the rider should prove to be the superior tactician from amongst his ilk. But then it is the horse, not he, who has to do the running…. They start from gate 7, which has provided three of the last six winners.

At a generous 10 to 1, and perhaps the value play of the race, is the Kentucky Derby runner-up, Golden Soul, whose connections elected to bypass the Preakness Stakes in favour of this spot. A homebred for Canadian diamond miner, Charles Fipke – who also bred and raced his sire, a talented son of Sadler's Wells – the chestnut colt is handled by Dallas Stewart. When finding his charge drawn on the very wide outside, in stall 14, he offered the following opinion: "He's a colt that handles everything that's thrown at him. We'll just see. Hopefully, he'll be able to save some ground somehow, some way….. It's a bit of a challenge from Post 14, but he's the type of horse that's met a lot of challenges". Robby Albarado will attempt to overturn the 2-1/2 lengths verdict that separated him from Orb in the Kentucky Derby.

Revolutionary may well turn out to be the best of Pletcher's quintet. "I think [the distance] will suit him well. He's a horse who turns off really easily. I think he'll settle in the first part of the race. That's important if you're going to get the mile and a half, " he said. Jockey Javier Castellano, who had teamed up with the colt to annex the Louisiana Derby in March, resumes his partnership with the WinStar standard-bearer. 11 to 2 can be had about their chances.

Pletcher's sole Belmont Stakes victory came through a filly, Rags To Riches, in 2007 and for trivia hunters it would make for a great story should one of that sex, namely his ward Unlimited Budget, prevail. In fact, it will be doubly interesting as she is to be steered by a lady rider in the form of the accomplished Rosie Napravnik. The New Jersey native had guided Mylute to a fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and to the third spot in the Preakness Stakes earlier this year. With four wins from five starts, Unlimited Budget cannot be ignored.

Freedom Child is a free-running sort who likes to get on with things. Given that he has been drawn 2, he may not get an ideal trip here, as he faces the prospect of being shackled to the rail; in any case, one doubts if the well-muscled sort can peg back his paternal half-brother who is far better bred on the dam's side and is a more accomplished runner to boot. Luis Saez, in great form at Belmont Park, will take up the reins on this sophomore.

The gelded Vyjack (by Into Mischief) had everything against him in the Kentucky Derby but even on more favourable conditions will struggle to get the trip. The manner in which Pletcher's Palace Malice (by Curlin) was gunned to the front in the Kentucky Derby meant he had little chance to hang on in the testing conditions. Reading between the lines, it seems the Dogwood Stable colt will once again play the role of "rabbit" here. Giant Finish (by Frost Giant) likes fast tracks and has for a guide that specialist for an upset, Edgar Prado. It may be recalled that Prado brought home the rank outsider, Sarava, at 70 to 1 in 2002.

In the final analysis, the first three home in the Kentucky Derby – Orb, Golden Soul and Revolutionary – along with Preakness winner Oxbow, should be the quartet to follow.