Preakness Stakes Expert Predictions and Betting Advice

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.

2013 Preakness Stakes Pace Scenarios
by Trevor Whenham - 5/15/2013

The pace scenario for the Preakness in 2013 seems to be reasonably straightforward. Of course, the same could have been said for the Kentucky Derby, and one horse blew it all to pieces. Palace Malice, one of the five Todd Pletcher horses in that race, was probably sent to the front early to keep the pace honest for Verrazano and Revolutionary behind.

Fresh Horses in the 2013 Preakness Stakes
by Trevor Whenham - 5/15/2013

You might think that picking a horse to win the Preakness that didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby would make sense. After all, the Derby is a truly brutal test for horses, and the two-week rest following that race is far less than horses are used to now. While there seems to be logic there, history has not proven that to be the case. In the last 29 years of the Preakness, we have seen just three horses that won without having run in the Derby.

2013 Preakness Stakes Jockeys
by Trevor Whenham - 5/14/2013

Jockeys may be small, but they are almost impossibly tough. They are also very interesting. For bettors they are important, too. A good ride can turn a decent horse into a champion, and a bad ride can make a bum out of a superstar. As you get ready to handicap the little guys (and gal) in the 2013 Preakness Stakes, here’s a look at some of what each of them bring to the table:

2013 Preakness Stakes Trainers
by Trevor Whenham - 5/14/2013

When you get a collection of top horses contesting a Triple Crown race, you can be all but certain that there will be a cast of fascinating characters training them. Though the field is small this year, the 2013 Preakness Stakes trainers certainly don’t disappoint this year:

2013 Preakness Stakes Picks Profile: Departing
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2013

He comes into the race off of a strong win in the Illinois Derby on April 20. After settling well off the pace early on, he made his move around the final turn, was in the lead by the top of the stretch, and only strengthened that lead down the stretch, though jockey Brian Hernandez never let up the pressure on the horse.

2013 Preakness Stakes Betting Advice: Itsmyluckyday
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2013

It was a very bad day for Itsmyluckyday in the Kentucky Derby. He galloped along mid-pack for the first six furlongs and was running the race he needed to. When it came time to flip the switch and start moving forward, though, there was nothing left. He looked far more tired down the stretch than he really should have and faded back to an irrelevant 15th by the finish line.

2013 Preakness Stakes Predictions: Mylute
by Trevor Whenham - 5/13/2013

Mylute was a respectable fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, grabbing the last of the prize money in the race. The connections would have hoped for more, obviously, but it was a solid race. He sat at the back of the pack early on, beating only Java’s War through early fractions.