Now that the post positions have been drawn and the start time set for 6:18pm ET, we can examine some free betting picks for the 2011 Preakness Stakes. There are certain posts that can affect the horse racing odds negatively in a race. If a horse starts off on the inside, such as positions 1-4, then they will have the shortest run to the first turn.  However, it also means that if they don’t get off to a quick start that they can then become boxed in between the rail and horses in front of them. If they start out too wide, such as positions 11-14, then they will have further ground to cover before reaching the first turn and will have to fight their way towards the middle of the track.  This in turn can mean that horses may get bumped out of contention, or even more seriously become involved in an accident.

The top two contenders in this race will be starting in the middle of the pack, with Animal Kingdom (2-1) starting from the 11th post and Dialed In (4-1) starting from the 10th. The middle of the field is the best place to start because if the jockey is aggressive from the gun, the horse can lead the pack after the first couple of furlongs. Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby from the 15th post, so it is not impossible to win from an outside spot; just improbable. In this field of 14 horses, I think the best posts are the number seven and eight posts because they are smack dab in the middle of the pack. Midnight Interlude (+1250) and Dance City (+900) occupy those spots respectively and their odds at Bodog.com reflect the advantage.

Astrology (15-1) is one of those horses that have the potential to win this race and a more than adequate jockey in Mike Smith, but the dreaded first post position may trap them against the rail. The same thing happened to Ar Char Charch in the Derby and he overworked himself so hard to get back into the race that he pulled up midway through with an injury. The third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, Mucho Macho Man, will probably factor on the board but I see him repeating his result from Churchill Downs. He starts from the 9th post, which should play into his style perfectly, but I don’t think he’ll be able to hold off the closers in this race.

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