Preakness Stakes Betting – Stakes Odds

It is the second race in horse racing’s Triple Crown and the shortest of the three races. Preakness Stakes odds almost always favor the Derby winner although that was not the case last year.

There is not much time between the Derby and the Preakness but history has shown that horses from the Derby do well in this race. The Preakness is shorter than the Derby at a mile and 3/16th and that can be a factor in which horse wins the race.

Last year was an aberration as a horse that didn’t run in the Derby Rachel Alexandra not only won the Preakness but was favored. That simply does not happen but last year the Preakness field was weak and Rachel Alexandra was a great filly. Rachel Alexandra was the first time filly to win the race since 1924. She was also the first winner of the Kentucky Oaks to ever win the Preakness. More history was made as she won from the #13 post, the first time a horse had ever won from that post position. Rachel Alexandra paid $5.60 to win last year while Mine that Bird paid $6.60 to place. The exacta paid $19.60 while the dollar trifecta paid $108.10. The superfecta was not too bad a payoff as the dollar super paid $2,903.80.

Two years ago it was Big Brown winning the Preakness as the heavy favorite and that was more the norm. Usually the Derby winner is favored in the Preakness. Favorites have done quite well through the years in Preakness Stakes wagering. Even last year when Rachel Alexandra won that happened since she went off as the favorite. Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird finished second in last year’s Preakness. Three years ago the winner of the Preakness was Curlin while Bernardini won in 2006. Afleet Alex was the 2005 winner while Smarty Jones won in 2004.

Unlike the Kentucky Derby, when you bet on Preakness Stakes odds you are not likely to hit the big ticket. The race does not have nearly as many horses and the favorite does far better than in the Derby. Betting the favorite has been the way to go and trying to find an exacta or a trifecta to go along with that horse is usually the way gamblers bet Preakness Stakes lines.