BALTIMORE (AP) — Bob Baffert can only hope the finish of the Preakness Stakes turns out better than the post-position draw.

The trainer watched in disbelief Wednesday as his Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah drew the dreaded number one post position for tomorrow’s second leg of the Triple Crown. A moment later, his other entry, Dortmund, was saddled with the number two post.

A 1-2 punch he could do without after American Pharoah was made the 4-5 morning-line favourite and Dortmund the 7-2 second choice in an eight-horse field. It’s the smallest field for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness since 2000, when Red Bullet upset Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.

“I can’t believe I drew the 1-2 of all draws,” a somewhat disappointed Baffert said, noting that if American Pharoah is the best horse, “we’re going to find out. “It’s the luck of the draw. I don’t love it, but it will be easy to watch.”

Justin Zayat, the son of American Pharoah owner Ahmed Zayat and general manager of Zayat Stables, chimed in on Twitter: “The champ will just have to work for it from the rail. I have faith in AP.”

Baffert has never liked the number one post, and history backs him up. The last horse to win the Preakness from the inside post was Tabasco Cat in 1994; the last to win it from the number two post was Snow Chief in 1986.

Baffert has 10 wins in Triple Crown races, and none started from the rail. Two weeks ago at the Derby draw, Baffert clapped his hands to his mouth after waiting until near the end of the draw before avoiding the number one post for American Pharoah and having him draw number 18. Dortmund wound up with the number 8 post.

“It’s kind of a different vibe here,” Baffert said, referring to a field less than half the size of the 18-horse Derby and a track that tends to be quicker than Churchill Downs. “But unless they re-draw it, we’ll have to live with it.”

If American Pharoah wins, it would set up Baffert for an unprecedented fourth Triple Crown try. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.

The field, from the rail out is American Pharoah (Espinoza, 4-5); Dortmund (Garcia, 7-2); Mr Z (Corey Nakatani, 20-1); Danzig Moon (Julien Leparoux, 15-1); Tale of Verve (Joel Rosario, 30-1); Bodhisattva (Trevor McCarthy, 20-1); Divining Rod (Javier Castellano, (12-1); and Firing Line (Gary Stevens, 4-1).