Date With Destiny: California Chrome Draws Secretariat’s Post Position Again
Superstitious much? California Chrome just drew the same post position in the Belmont that the great Secretariat wore – just as he has done in the Preakness Stakes.
I may not buy into much in the way of superstition, but I still get goosebumps when the stars seem to be lining up single file. This morning, the Belmont Stakes entrants drew their post positions.
Editor’s Note: We’ve confirmed that Secretariat actually broke from the 10th slot inthe 1973 Kentucky Derby, where Chrome broke from post position five.
California Chrome broke out of the three slot in the Preakness, and will start out of gate two in the Belmont on Saturday. Owner Steve Colburn said he liked the colts odds, especially given the luck that seems to be following this group around.
Historically, the two slot is tied with the seventh slot for the third most successful gate in the history of the Belmont Stakes. The number one slot is the most successful, yielding 23 winners.
10 other horses will try to sway California Chrome’s 3-5 favored bid for history on Saturday, including a few horses he faced in the Derby such as Wicked Strong and Ride On Curlin. One of the biggest obstacles often faced by horses who have made the grueling three-race trek is fresher horses who skipped one of the Classic races to prepare for the marathon that is the Belmont.
| 1 | Medal Count | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | 20-1 |
| 2 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | 3-5 |
| 3 | Matterhorn | Joe Bravo | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 4 | Commanding Curve | Shaun Bridgmohan | Dallas Stewart | 15-1 |
| 5 | Ride On Curlin | John Velazquez | William Gowan | 12-1 |
| 6 | Matuszak | Mike Smith | Bill Mott | 30-1 |
| 7 | Samraat | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette | 20-1 |
| 8 | Commissioner | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 20-1 |
| 9 | Wicked Strong | Rajiv Maragh | Jimmy Jerkens | 6-1 |
| 10 | General a Rod | Rosie Napravnik | Mike Maker | 20-1 |
| 11 | Tonalist | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | 8-1 |
You can read more on the Belmont contenders BloodHorse.com.
The Belmont Stakes will be aired on NBC this Saturday, June 7, beginning at 4:30pm EST. Estimated post time is 6:52 pm EST. What do you think of the chestnut colt’s chances at history? Weigh in below!
In case you want to relive Chrome’s journey to the Belmont, here are replays of the Derby and the Preakness for your enjoyment:
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