BELMONT STAKES : Favored Strike The Gold Gets the Outside Post

ELMONT, N.Y. —  Strike The Gold’s chances of winning Saturday’s $695,800 Belmont Stakes diminished Thursday when the Kentucky Derby winner drew the outside post in an 11-horse field.

In the available history of the Belmont, only one horse--Conquistador Cielo, who was No. 11 in 1982--has won the race after breaking from a post outside No. 9. The Belmont has been run 122 times, but data on post positions is only provided since 1905.

Nick Zito, who trains Strike The Gold, may have retained his characteristic braggadocio, but he was not successful in hiding his disappointment over the draw for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont. Zito’s plan for the race has been changed by the outside post, and so have his instructions for jockey Chris Antley.

“I’ll tell Chris to take him back to last (place),” Zito said. “He’s got to save ground. Now we’ll see what kind of special horse this is.”

Before the draw, Zito had envisioned placing Strike The Gold closer to the pace than he usually is, because horses that come from far back seldom win the Belmont.

Despite Strike The Gold’s post position, he has been installed as a 5-2 favorite. Only one post-time favorite, Risen Star in 1988, has won the Belmont in the past six years.

Hansel, the Preakness winner and 3-1 second choice on the morning line, drew the No. 5 post, just inside Corporate Report, the Preakness runner-up who is expected to set the pace Saturday.

Here’s the way the Belmont field will line up, starting at the rail and including jockeys and odds:

Another Review, Richard Migliore, 30-1; Scan, Chris McCarron, 10-1; Mane Minister, Alex Solis, 12-1; Lost Mountain, Craig Perret, 8-1; Hansel, Jerry Bailey, 3-1; Corporate Report, Pat Day, 8-1; Quintana, Angel Cordero, 20-1; Green Alligator, Corey Nakatani, 15-1; Subordinated Debt, Julie Krone, 12-1; Smooth Performance, Michael Kinane, 6-1, and Strike The Gold, Chris Antley, 5-2.

Each horse will carry 126 pounds, which is the weight for all of the Triple Crown races.

Maybe Johnny Campo, trainer of Another Review, was trying to make Zito feel better when he said: “Post position is not at all important going a mile and a half. All the post positions are good. There’s a long run to the first turn, and the riders really have a mile to make up their minds and get positioning.”

Campo has run nine horses in the Belmont, his best finish a second with Twice A Prince in 1973.

First place is worth $417,480, and four of the starters, who will have run in all the races, are eligible for the $1-million Triple Crown bonus. Based on a 10-5-3-1 point system for finishing in the first four in each race, Strike The Gold and Hansel each has 10 points, Mane Minister has six and Corporate Report has five.

The Belmont is one of four stakes scheduled at Belmont Park Saturday. The undercard includes the $500,000 Nassau County Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile race that is Round 5 in the 10-race American Championship Racing Series; the $100,000 Riva Ridge at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds, and the $100,000 Colin at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds.

Farma Way, Festin and Jolie’s Halo, the three horses tied for the lead in the championship series with 20 points apiece, will all run in the Nassau County. Farma Way won the Santa Anita Handicap and the Pimlico Special; Jolie’s Halo won the Donn Handicap, and Festin won the Oaklawn Handicap. Bonuses totaling $1.5 million will be distributed at the end of the series, the horse with the most points earning $750,000.

The big three will be joined Saturday by seven others--the entry of Rhythm and Defensive Play, plus Chief Honcho, Crowning Tribute, Gervazy, Sound Of Cannons and Silver Survivor. Farma Way will carry the high weight of 123 pounds, followed by Jolie’s Halo with 119 and Defensive Play and Chief Honcho with 117 each. Festin was assigned 116 pounds.

Fly So Free, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, will run in the Riva Ridge, with Jerry Bailey regaining the mount after Jose Santos had the assignment for the last seven races.

Wayne Lukas, who also trains Corporate Report and Farma Way, will run the three-horse entry of Media Plan, Dodge and Formal Dinner in the Riva Ridge. Rounding out the field will be Turfdom, Ole Grumby, Alaskan Frost, Arrowtown, Look See, Letthebighossroll and L.J.’s Terminator.

Man Alright, once considered a candidate for the Belmont, will run in the Colin, against Ambassador In Love, Far Out Wadleigh, Jolies Appeal, Sultry Song, Cold, Honest Ensign, Marchtime and Sans Souci Slew.

The Belmont Field

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS 1. Another Review Richard Migliore Johnny Campo 30-1 2. Scan Chris McCarron Scotty Schulhofer 10-1 3. Mane Minister Alex Solis Juan Gonzalez 12-1 4. Lost Mountain Craig Perret Tom Bohannon 8-1 5. Hansel Jerry Bailey Frank Brothers 3-1 6. Corporate Report Pat Day Wayne Lukas 8-1 7. Quintana Angel Cordero David Cross 20-1 8. Green Alligator Corey Nakatani Murray Johnson 15-1 9. Subordinated Debt Julie Krone Dave Monaci 12-1 10. Smooth Performance Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 6-1 11. Strike The Gold Chris Antley Nick Zito 5-2

OWNERS (by post position): 1. Buckland Farm; 2. Willaim Haggin Perry; 3. John A. Toffan and Trudy McCaffery; 4. Loblolly Stable; 5. Joe Allbritton; 6. Wayne Lukas and W.T. Young; 7. Gary Garber. 8. Anderson Fowler; 9, Leslie R. Grimm; 10. Moygalre Stud; 11. B. Giles Brophy, W.J. Condren and Joseph Cornacchia.

WEIGHTS: Each 126 pounds. DISTANCE: 1 1/2 miles. PURSE: $695,800 if 11 start. First place: $417,480. Second place: $153,076. Third place: $83,496. Fourth place: $41,748. POST TIME: Today, 2:32 p.m. PDT. TELEVISION: Channels 7, 3, 10, 42.