Preakness Stakes betting tradition is a plenty for those who are handicapping the Preakness Stakes odds and this makes it a special race to wager on. The Preakness will be run for the 135th time this year on May 15th from the famed Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
Preakness Stakes betting excitement is contagious for both the veteran horse player and the casual fan who wants to be a part of the excitement of betting the Preakness . The Preakness is one of the oldest and most respected traditions on the horse racing calendar. It is the race that follows the Kentucky Derby and the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown series. No horse has won the Triple Crown since 1978 and as that time span continues to grow, so does the suspense and anticipation of the Preakness . If the Kentucky Derby winner takes the Preakness Stakes, that sets up a shot for the Triple Crown at the final race of the series at Belmont with the running of the Belmont Stakes. Affirmed was the last horse to go three out of three and win the Triple Crown.
Big Brown was the Preakness betting winner in 2008 and that set up considerable hype for the horse, which looked to be unbeatable after dominating the Preakness . Big Brown was considered a sure thing at Belmont but jockey Kent Desormeaux had to pull the horse up and quit at the stretch due to a leg injury as the animal simply had nothing to offer.
In 2004 Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness while capturing the heart of America in the process and setting himself up for a shot at the Triple Crown, only to fall short at the Belmont Stakes as he was upset by 36-1 long shot Birdstone. He never raced again.
The new phenomenon that is taking place in recent years at the Preakness is that of new horses that were held out of the Kentucky Derby being entered into the Preakness with fresh legs to take a serious shot at the Derby winner that is often stressed and fatigued. This sets up the unique handicapping challenge of researching horses that may not have the same media hype that a Derby horse would have. The value potential can be great for bargain hunting gamblers in Preakness odds.