NEW YORK — Trainer Billy Gowan let out a whoop when Ride on Curlin landed a midpack post for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.

You look for any possible edge when facing California Chrome, the 3-5 favorite to become horse racing’s 12th Triple Crown champion, and first in 36 years.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will face 10 rivals on Saturday, not a good omen in the quest for racing’s ultimate prize. This would be the largest Belmont field ever beaten by a Triple Crown winner. The 11 previous Triple Crown champions never faced more than seven rivals in the 1½-mile Belmont, the longest of the three races in the series.

Since Affirmed became the last Triple Crown winner in 1978, three Belmont fields with the same history on the line also drew 11 horses in 1981, 1988 and 2002.

None of that bothers Art Sherman, California Chrome’s trainer

“They better worry about me,” he said.

Ride on Curlin is one of the handful of challengers with a realistic chance of pulling an upset. Gowan’s colt is the 12-1 fourth choice from post No. 5.

“I feel good about my post,” Gowan said after the draw Wednesday morning.