The Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race stretching the distance of 1 and 3/16 of a mile (1.91 km) and the winner takes home $1,000,000. The Preakness is solely run for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, and is always held on the 3rd Saturday in May. The race takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Nicknamed, ”The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” after the horseshoe of black-eyed susans, the state flower of Maryland, is placed around the winner’s neck traditionally. The winner also receives a version of the ”Woodlawn Vase” which is a replica of the original that is still celebrated every year.
Pimlico began running the Preakness during the track’s first spring race meet in 1873. Preakness began two years prior to the first Kentucky Derby. The Preakness is the second jewel in the famed Triple Crown. To win the Triple Crown, horse racing’s grand slam, the horse has to win the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness two weeks later, and finally the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness, at 9 furlongs, is the shortest race in the Triple Crown, one furlong less than the Kentucky Derby and 3 furlongs less than the Belmont.
All eyes will be on the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown, because he’s the only horse with a chance to make history. The first horse to win the Triple Crown was a colt by the name of Sir Barton back in 1919. The last horse to do so was Affirmed, who took the crown in 1978. Last year’s winner, Curlin, ran the fastest time over the last 11 years. Since the distance of the race changed to 1-2/16 miles in 1925, the fastest time is shared between Tank’s Prospect and Louis Quatorze at 1:53.40.
Four fillies have won the Preakness, which might add to the circus that will almost certainly take place after the tragic loss of Eight Belles just after this year’s Kentucky Derby. There hasn’t been a filly winner since the last year before the track size changed, 1924, one Nellie Morse.
This race has managed nearly half a million people to attend over the last five years. The 2008 race will be the 100th Preakness run since the race moved back to Pimlico after a 15 year hiatus from it’s birth track.
Jolt’s Top 3 Value Bets
1. Big Brown—Belmont odds 2 to 7: This is bad. As it seems, the rest of the big names are sitting this one out in a race that is beginning to look like a giveaway to Big Brown. But can you really bet 2-7? This is NOT a value bet by any means, but the way things are looking, it’s going to take a bad day for Big Brown to fall in Pimilico. I’m not saying bad days don’t happen, but there aren’t a lot of big time horses stealing much of the spotlight from the Triple Crown hopeful. It’s hard to believe that the second leg of the Crown would be given up so easily, but it’s happened before and this is beginning to look like a replay to Citation’s situation in 1948.
2. Hey Byrn—Belmont odds 15 to 1: This colt has proven he can win, but not against the big boys, and not against Big Brown. In fact, Hey Byrn came in a distant 4th to Big Brown the last time he matched up with the Kentucky Derby winner. Still, at 15-1 Hey Byrn is a proven winner and is, at least, as good of a shot as any other horse to dethrone the big thoroughbred. I wonder if the late decision to join the Stakes is a good or bad thing for this horse.
3. Gayego—Belmont Odds TBA: This is a tough one because it’s not yet known if Gayego is going to run in the Preakness. However, it’s beginning to look more and more like he will indeed challenge the Derby winner. Gayego finished 17th in the Derby, but his struggles came from a wide trip. If Gayego does run, and the odds are right, he might just be worth a shot.
133rd Preakness Stakes - Odds to Win - in Alphabetical Order
Behindatthebar 8 - 1
Big Brown - 2 - 7
Harlem Rocker- 4 - 1
Hey Bryn - 15 - 1
Icabad Crane - 25 - 1
Kentucky Bear - 25 - 1
Racecar Rhapsody - 25 - 1
Riley Tucker - 25 - 1
Samba Rooster - 12 - 1
Stevil - 25 - 1
Tres Borrachos - 25 - 1
Yankee Bravo - 18 - 1
