Preakness Stakes Wagering – Fast Facts for Saturday’s Race. The 136th running of the Preakness is on Saturday afternoon with odds on the board at the Sbg sportsbook for Preakness Stakes wagering. The second race in horse racing’s Triple Crown is expected to have a full field of 14 horses for gamblers making a Preakness Stakes bet to wager on. Let’s look at a few quick facts for this year’s Preakness.
Derby Horses
The main contenders to win the Preakness are horses coming out of the Kentucky Derby. Since 1961 there have only been eight horses who won the Preakness without racing in the Kentucky Derby. The latest horse to pull it off was Rachel Alexandra two years ago. Horses coming out of the Derby who can win on Saturday are Animal Kingdom who won the race, Mucho Macho Man who was third, Shackleford who was fourth, favored Dialed In and Midnight Interlude who was 16th.
Bob Baffert
The trainer to follow in the Preakness is Bob Baffert. He will be sending Midnight Interlude who bombed in the Kentucky Derby, finishing a disappointing 16th. Baffert does know how to win the Preakness as he won in 1997 with Silver Charm, in 1998 with Real Quiet, in 2001 with Point Given, in 2002 with War Emblem and last year with Lookin at Lucky. If he wins on Saturday it would be the third time he would have won the Preakness is back-to-back years.
Jockeys
Since the Preakness came back to Pimlico in 1909 there have only been three jockeys to win the race in back-to-back years. Martin Garcia will try and make it four as he rides Midnight Interlude. Garcia was aboard Lookin at Lucky last year. The other three jockeys to win in consecutives years were Johnny Loftus, Eddie Arcaro and Pat Day.
Full Field
The Preakness does not always have a full field of 14 but that should be the case on Saturday. Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom will be the favorite in Preakness Stakes wagering with other Derby horses right behind in the wagering. Beaten Derby favorite Dialed In and Mucho Macho Man are expected to be the second and third choices in the betting. One horse who will not be in the field is Nehro who finished second in the Kentucky Derby. He will be held back for the Belmont Stakes.