The Preakness Stakes will not have any Triple Crown intrigue this year, as Rich Strike, the extremely improbable winner of the Kentucky Derby, will not run at Pimlico as his trainer believes a race so soon after the Kentucky Derby would hurt his chances of winning the Belmont Stakes. Also, the Preakness is shorter (1 3/16 miles) than the Kentucky Derby, while Rich Strike is a better horse at slightly longer distances, so a Triple Crown would have been a remote possibility at best. The sports betting favorite is Epicenter, who was the runner-up at Churchill Downs. In 2021, Rombauer won at 11/1 odds to beat Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon, the favorites, in 1:53.62. Check out the Preakness Stakes post position, odds and analysis for each entrant this Saturday.
Horse Racing News: Preakness Stakes Preview
Post 1: Simplification (6/1)
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: John Velazquez
Simplification ran fourth at the Kentucky Derby under Jose Ortiz, but he will change riders here. An interesting fact from Churchill Downs: if you factor in the amount of distance traveled, Simplification actually came in second for speed in feet per second, only behind Rich Strike.
Post 2: Creative Minister (10/1)
Trainer: Ken McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr
Creative Minister won a 1 1/16 mile allowance race at Churchill Downs but did not enter the Derby. He did not receive a Triple Crown nomination, and so his team has had to pay a $150,000 supplementation fee to enter him in Baltimore. Will it pay off?
Post 3: Fenwick (50/1)
Trainer: Kevin McKathan
Jockey: Florent Geroux
He needed five races on four different tracks to finally break his maiden. However, that did not provide much momentum, as he came in dead last at the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.
Post 4: Secret Oath (9/2)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Saez
We have a filly high up the odds list after she won the Kentucky Oaks and came in third at the Grade I Arkansas Derby. She ran 55.2 feet per second at the Oaks, which is even faster than Rich Strike’s pace (55.1), so she definitely has a shot to win here too.
Post 5: Early Voting (7/2)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Early Voting was the runner-up at the Wood Memorial in April and ended up sitting out Churchill Downs. Gun Runner, his sire, won six Grade I stakes and was the Horse of the Year in 2017. He has Tabasco Cat (who won at the Belmont and the Preakness), Cat Thief (who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic) and Giant’s Causeway (six Grade I wins) in his lineage.
Post 6: Happy Jack (30/1)
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Happy Jack only has one victory – a maiden sprint at just six furlongs. However, he has tended to outperform his odds; that win came at 24/1. He also paid 26/1 coming in third-place at a pair of graded stakes, so he could sneak in and pay off for the trifecta or superfecta.
Post 7: Armagnac (12/1)
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr
Tim Yakteen has taken over the horses formerly trained by Bob Baffert, and Armagnac has only two wins: a maiden and an optional allowance event. In graded stakes events, he has come in fourth and sixth. These odds are surprisingly short given this background.
Post 8: Epicenter (6/5)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario
He showed a ton of potential at Churchill Downs despite getting passed at the very end. He comes in as a very legitimate favorite, but does he offer enough value?
Post 9: Skippylongstocking (20/1)
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Skippylongstocking came in third at the Grade II Wood Memorial, but his race was unfortunate. He got pushed four-wide at the far turn and then five-wide coming into the stretch, so he actually ran 41 more feet than Mo Donegal, the winner. He actually had the top speed in feet per second (55.6) and would have won if he had taken Mo Donegal’s path, making him an interesting value pick here.
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