One of the most historic – and controversial – editions of the Kentucky Derby is in the books and the next leg of the US Triple Crown moves to Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course for the running of the Preakness Stakes. The 1 3/16 test over the Pimlico dirt track is drawing a wide-open field of three-year-old thoroughbreds gunning for the $1.5 million purse.
The 2019 Preakness Stakes will be run on May 18 from Pimlico, with an expected post time of 6:45 PM Eastern. Official entries for the race and the post-position draw will take place on Wednesday, May 15, but right now the race is expected to draw a field of 10 to 12 runners.
Note that Bovada is not displaying odds for Win Win Win although he is expected to be in the field and odds can be requested. Also note that currently Bovada is listing odds on Mr. Money but he is not expected to run.
For the first time in decades, none of the top four finishers in the Kentucky Derby are going on to the Preakness, including Derby winner Country House. Instead, the race brings together a group of horses that have taken a variety of different paths to get to Pimlico, and presents some great betting value and a handicapping challenge.
Looking at the field, it's easy to conclude the race is Improbable's to lose. On form, he's had the best results in the highest levels of racing with a graded-stakes win and a pair of runner-up finishes in graded-stakes, and was fourth in the Derby. But he's had trouble getting the job done late in races, and hasn't been able to win at a distance beyond 1 1/16 miles, so he could be vulnerable late.
Part of that vulnerability lies in the fact Improbable is not likely to push the pace and wear out the frontrunners, and there are several in here that may come flying late and catch him at the wire, as what happened in his loss to Long Range Toddy in the (G2) Rebel Stakes in March.
Improbable is going to want to sit off the pace and hope a speed duel develops in front of him that he can then take advantage of as they turn for home. In that regard, Alwaysmining, Anothertwistoffate and possibly War Of Will will be the three out of the gate the fastest.
Alwaysmining is a horse on a solid roll, having won his last six starts, most in relatively easy fashion. Beyond just the wins, there are a lot of things to like here - his last race speed rating ties for the highest in the field, he's shown an ability to be in front or just off the pace, he's won on off-tracks, and he's won at up to 1 1/8 miles. The question mark in all this is that level of competition he has been facing is suspect and this will be a step up in class.
Similar concerns might be raised about Anothertwistoffate, whose best races have come on the all-weather surface at Golden Gate Fields in San Franciso rather than any of the big graded-stakes races that have been run this spring. It appears he can run on a dirt surface, with a pair of runner-up finishes in the (G3) Sunland Derby and Lexington Stakes, with the Sunland in particular producing a very fast finishing time over the last 3/8 mile. That's a positive sign, but the horse that beat him, Cutting Humor could do no better than 10th in the Derby last Saturday.
War Of Will is something of a puzzle. He's a horse whose career really took off when he was switched from running on turf to running on dirt, and a pair of solid wins early in the year made him a top contender for the Derby. But he took a bad step in the (G1) Louisiana Derby and finished well back. In the Kentucky Derby they held him back on the rail rather than try to challenge for the early lead, and that may have backfired as he got involved in the trouble that lead to the diswualification of Maximum Security and then he faded down the stretch to run seventh. At his best form he's a threat to win - if he can handle the distance.
If two or more of the above horses decide to blaze along in a battle up front, it could set up very well for one of the closers in the field such as Bourbon War. He has been solid but not spectacular in five lifetime starts, getting a pair of wins and one second-place finish, each time coming from far back in the field to put in one long run into the lane. Closers like him tend to just miss nmore often than not, but he's a solid play in exotic bets like trifectas and superfectas.
Check out the online racebooks listed below to find the latest Preakness Stakes odds and increase the return on your betting dollar with a Preakness future wager.
Tag : Preakness Stakes Betting , Preakness Stakes Horses , Preakness Stakes Odds
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