The three races that comprise the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes) have all taken place since 1875, although the Triple Crown trophy was not commissioned until 1950. It was then awarded retroactively to horses that had won all three — the first of which was Sir Barton, back in 1919. The term “Triple Crown” first emerged in 1930, when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three. There have been 99 complete runnings of all three races, and 12 winners of the Triple Crown, most recently American Pharaoh in 2015. There have been 23 horses who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes (but not the Belmont Stakes). So when Justify, the Kentucky Derby winner, lines up at Preakness Stakes, the statistical odds are not with him, at least looking at the historical numbers. But from a horse racing betting perspective, is he the safe bet to win the Preakness this year? Check out our thoughts below.
Should You Bet on the Kentucky Derby Winner in the 2018 Preakness Stakes?
Bob Baffert’s favorite leg of the #TripleCrown? Take a wild guess… #Preakness pic.twitter.com/IEXCepYmVs
— Preakness Stakes (@PreaknessStakes) May 17, 2018