Preakness Stakes Expert Predictions and Betting Advice

Handicapping the 2015 Preakness Stakes Trainers
by Trevor Whenham - 5/12/2015

I usually have to pick and choose the best stories to tell each year when I write about the Preakness trainers. This year, though, we have only eight horses that are Preakness possibles, and two of them are trained by the same guy, so there are no decisions to be made — I’ll just look at them all. Here. then, is your group of prospective Preakness trainers (odds to win the race are from Bovada):

Divining Rod Odds to Win the 2015 Preakness Stakes with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/12/2015

There are three types of horses that typically join the Triple Crown trail at the Preakness stage. The first is a highly-talented horse that wasn't quite mature enough to try the Derby. Bernardini or Bayern come to mind. Next are the no-hope horses, often with local connections, that are just looking to take a shot at a miracle. It rarely ends well for them.

2015 Preakness Stakes Handicapping: Early Look at the Field
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2015

It is shaping up to be a much smaller field for the Preakness than we saw in the Kentucky Derby — potentially much, much smaller. All that matters, though, is that American Pharoah is, barring injury, headed to Baltimore and ready to take his next step towards history. Here are the horses he is sure to face in the Preakness and others that are potential foes:

Horses that can win the Preakness Stakes in 2015 with Expert Picks
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2015

The field for the Preakness is in flux as I write this about 10 days out from the second jewel of the Triple Crown. There could be as many as 13 horses, though only four have been confirmed at this point, and it seems more likely that we’ll see about eight enter the starting gate. Of the potential entrants, there are six horses that can win the Preakness:

Kentucky Derby Horses in the Preakness Stakes for 2015
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2015

We were witness to the best Kentucky Derby in a long, long time last Saturday. As has become the unfortunate trend, though, we are not in a position to see a rematch of much of the field two weeks later in the Preakness. It used to be that the Triple Crown was like one big challenge. Horses signed on for the whole trip and would run all three legs of the toughest challenge in sports — because that’s what you did.

Can American Pharoah win the Triple Crown? Odds and Handicapping
by Trevor Whenham - 5/5/2015

There is only one question on the minds of everyone interested in horse racing in the wake of the best Kentucky Derby I can remember — can American Pharoah win the Triple Crown? Oddsmakers — and therefore the betting public -- are decidedly optimistic. Bovada has him at just +250 that he can do what no horse has done since 1978 and win his next two races, compared to just -300 that he will fail like so many greats before him have.

2014 Preakness Stakes Contenders
by Robert Ferringo - 5/16/2014

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome’s fragile health is becoming one of the top stories leading up to this week’s Preakness Stakes. The Derby winner is a monster 3-to-5 favorite to win this weekend’s race despite swirling rumors regarding the horse’s health.

2014 Preakness Stakes Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/15/2014

The post positions are set for the Preakness Stakes. Now all there is left to do is try to figure out how the 10-horse field is going to shake out in the end. With a massive favorite — California Chrome was installed at 3/5 on the morning line — it is going to take some time to figure out how to best bet this race. While I am unsure what the bets will ultimately look like, here are six predictions about the race that I feel pretty good about:

2014 Preakness Stakes Pace Scenarios
by Trevor Whenham - 5/14/2014

The pace can and usually does have a huge impact on the outcome of Triple Crown races, and that certainly should be the case here in this Preakness this year. Painting a picture of what you think the race is going to look like, and what that means for the different horses in the field, is the single most important part of handicapping any race, and that will be especially true in a race like this with high-caliber horses from tracks across the country.

Bayern Odds to win the 2014 Preakness Stakes
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2014

California Chrome will be very heavily-favored in the Preakness Stakes. Will the race be a coronation, or can another horse bring the Triple Crown dreams crashing to the ground for another year? There are nine horses that will try, and among the most interesting is Bayern. Can Bayern win the Preakness? The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag aren’t dismissing the possibility — Bayern’s odds to win the Preakness sit at +1000, which makes him the third choice in the likely field.

Social Inclusion Odds to win the 2014 Preakness Stakes
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2014

In the eyes of most people — and certainly of the oddsmakers — California Chrome is very likely to win the Preakness. Social Inclusion is one of the horses that has something to say about that, though. The talented-but-very-lightly-raced colt is the toughest foe that the favorite will face, and he has been installed as the second-favorite. Social Inclusion’s odds to win the Preakness sit at +500 according to Sportsbook.ag. That puts him far behind California Chrome at -160 but well ahead of the rest of the pack.

2014 Preakness Stakes Jockeys: Handicapping and Analysis
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2014

Jockeys are the toughest, bravest athletes there are. This year’s Derby features a wide range of jockeys — from the experienced to the raw, and from the wildly-successful to the journeyman. Here’s a look at this year’s roster for help with your 2014 Preakness Stakes handicapping:

2014 Preakness Stakes Trainers: Handicapping and Analysis
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2014

As we get ready for the Preakness Stakes, we have to look at the trainers. Those men and women are responsible for having their horses ready, so they play an absolutely vital role in the outcome of this race and are therefore key for handicappers. Here are six of the more interesting Preakness Stakes trainers storylines for this year:

How to Bet the Preakness Stakes in 2014
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2014

The Preakness Stakes this year is going to be a challenge from a betting perspective — not a totally unique one, but one you need to be ready for nonetheless. California Chrome is going to be a very heavy favorite — quite likely below even money by post time. The rest of the field either has much less experience than the favorite or have had much less success. Bettors seeking to succeed betting this race are going to have to be savvy and strategic.

Horses that Can Win the 2014 Preakness Stakes
by Trevor Whenham - 5/7/2014

The Preakness Stakes is shaping up to have a relatively small field this year. There are just 10 horses pointed towards the race this year, and it’s very unlikely that all 10 will actually make the starting gate. Of those 10, only three are horses that also ran in the Kentucky Derby, so it’s a fresh group of runners. Of course, not all of these horses are equal. From the field, here are the six horses that can win the Preakness (odds to win are from Sportsbook.ag):

Can California Chrome win the Triple Crown? Odds and Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2014

A very interesting thing jumped out at me when I was perusing the horse racing props available at Sportsbook.ag. Not surprisingly, you can bet on whether we will see the Triple Crown drought, which stretches back to the last win in 1978, end this year. What is amazing, though, is that the odds for California Chrome to do so sit at just +210. That’s remarkably low, which means that oddsmakers and the betting public are reasonably optimistic. But should they be? Can California Chrome win the Triple Crown? Let’s look at both sides of the argument:

2014 Preakness Field Handicapping: Early Look
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2014

It’s still early, but at this point — just a couple of days after the Kentucky Derby — it looks like a small field is going to line up to face California Chrome in the Preakness as the Derby winner looks to take another step towards the Triple Crown. Right now there are just 10 horses that seem possible, and it would be shocking if all 10 made it all the way to the race (odds to win the Preakness are from Sportsbook.ag):

Kentucky Derby Horses in the Preakness for 2014
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2014

Every year I write this same article looking at all the horses that are heading from Churchill Downs to Pimlico to contest their second Triple Crown race. Usually there is a good group of runners who show how tough they are and make the trek. Well, this year it turns out that we are dealing with a bunch of sissies. Incredibly, only two horses from the Kentucky Derby are confirmed to be in the Preakness, and only one more is deemed even possible.

2013 Preakness Stakes Betting and Handicapping Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 5/16/2013

How many horses line up for the Preakness Stakes can tell you a lot about how the trainers and horse folk view the Kentucky Derby winner. For instance, in 2007 just eight horses came out to test Derby winner Street Sense, and in 2008 there were just 11 horses ready to run at Big Brown. Both of those horses were so well respected that they scared away most competition in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

2013 Preakness Stakes Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 5/16/2013

We are on the verge of the second jewel in this year’s Triple Crown. It has shaped up as an interesting challenge. Six horses carry on down the trail after the Kentucky Derby, including heavy favorite Orb. They are joined by three new entrants — wise-guy choice Departing, inexperienced Bob Baffert-trainee Govenor Charlie, and major longshot Titletown Five.