Belmont post positions set as Sovereignty, Journalism square off

Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty will start from the inside and Preakness champ Journalism will start out wide when the Belmont Stakes is held Saturday at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Post positions were announced for the field of eight on Monday and Sovereignty landed the 2 spot while Journalism will break from post 7. Baeza, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby behind Sovereignty and Journalism, will start from the 6 spot.

Journalism is listed as an 8-5 favorite and is the only horse in the field that raced in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Sovereignty, which skipped the Preakness, is 2-1. Baeza, who is 4-1, also didn't run in the Preakness.

The Belmont Stakes is being held at Saratoga Race Course for the second straight year while renovations continue on the Belmont track in Elmont, N.Y. That leaves the final race of the three Triple Crown events at 1 1/4 miles instead of its traditional 1 1/2-mile jaunt.

Hill Road will start out of the 1 gate and Rodriguez will at 3. Uncaged (4), Crudo (5) and Heart of Honor (8) round out the small field.

Rodriguez missed both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness due to a crack in a hind hoof. The horse will surely garner betting support at 6-1 due to a win in the Wood Memorial in April.

Belmont Stakes post positions

1. Hill Road 10-1

2. Sovereignty 2-1

3. Rodriguez 6-1

4. Uncaged 30-1

5. Crudo 15-1

6. Baeza 4-1

7. Journalism 8-5

8. Heart of Honor 30-1