I'll Have Another to start bid for history from 11th post

I'll Have Another's run for US racing history in the Belmont Stakes will start from the No. 11 post on Saturday -- a perfect position for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner trainer Doug O'Neill said. "Being in the 11th hole, we're able to kind of see how the pace sets up," O'Neill said. "If they're crawling, we'll hopefully be leading the crawl, and if they're flying, we'll be sitting in behind the horses flying." I'll Have Another was installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the 12-horse field for the 1 1/2 mile Belmont -- the final jewel in US flat racing's Triple Crown. It's the first time he's been the betting choice in his eight-race career. But I'll Have Another, with jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard again, will be trying to become just the 12th horse to complete the coveted treble -- and the first since Affirmed in 1978. "It's been an incredible ride," O'Neill said. "And it's all thanks to the great I'll Have Another. "His appetite is strong, his coat looks great and he couldn't be training better." The most likely spoilers are reckoned to be Dullahan, who drew the fifth post and was priced at 5-1, Union Rags, who will break from the third post and was priced at 6-1, and Paynter, who drew the ninth post and was priced at 8-1. Apart from the top four, only Street Life at 12-1 was priced below 20-1. Paynter, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, looks like the controlling speed, and O'Neill was glad that his horse will start outside them. Dullahan, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Javier Castellano, was third in the Kentucky Derby but opted out of the Preakness. "If we had won the Kentucky Derby, and we thought we would, we would have gone to the Preakness," said Jerry Crawford, managing partner of owner Donegal Stable. "Having failed to do that, if you examine the genetic code of Dullahan and his sire, Even the Score, it clearly mitigated in favor of giving him some rest and coming here." Dullahan has been outstanding in training. So has Union Rags, who endured tough trips with Jockey Julien Leparoux in the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby. John Velazquez replaces Leparoux in the irons this time out. Since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, 11 horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but failed in the Belmont, the race dubbed "The Test of the Champion". Crawford said he'd relish the role of spoiler, although he praised I'll Have Another's accomplishments to date. "I don't think I'll Have Another, even with all the attention he's been getting, has gotten his full due yet," Crawford said. "Bodemeister was spectacular in the Derby and Preakness, and I'll Have Another ran him down both times. "We're going to try to keep him from getting the Triple Crown, but if I'll Have Another wins Saturday, he will have exceeded all expectations."