The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
While Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will sit out the race, this year’s Preakness will be interesting to watch, with Derby runner-up Epicenter and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in the nine-horse field.
Post time for the race is 7:01 p.m. ET. In last year’s edition of the Preakness, Rombauer upset Medina Spirit as a 12-1 underdog with a last-second push down the homestretch.
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Note: Horses, with morning-line odds, listed in order of post position.
1. Simplification (6-1)
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: John Velazquez
I expected this one to run well at a big number in the Derby, and he didn’t disappoint as he completed the superfecta. Where in that race I was hoping Jose Ortiz was going to take back and make a run, here he may need to be a little more in touch early on because of what will be a softer pace than the Derby. The rail draw gives him the shortest way around, if he wants it to set up a run to pick off horses late. If Epicenter runs his race, nobody will beat him. But if Epicenter doesn’t fire, he’s one of the ones with a big chance in here.
2. Creative Minister (10-1)
Trainer: Ken McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
I can see this one being the trendy new shooter that takes a ton of money. Clearly he’s done nothing wrong in his three races, but I really don’t know how much he’s beaten. Is he good enough to go by Epicenter, who will likely fall into a perfect trip? I’m not sure he is. I’ll have him in the exotics underneath, but that’s about it.
3. Fenwick (50-1)
Trainer: Kevin McKathan
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Finished 11th in the Blue Grass off a maiden win at Tampa — in his fifth try after failing at BEL, FG and AQU — so that’s what we’re dealing with. From the sounds of things, it appears they will send and hope for the best. If they do send, it makes Epicenter’s decision — and job — that much easier. Hey, it’s not the best of fields, so why not see if you can hang on for a piece of the purse?
4. Secret Oath (9-2)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Saez
Can’t fault Lukas for taking a shot with the Kentucky Oaks winner. I loved her in that race and she delivered, bouncing back from a horror trip in the Arkansas Derby with a huge rider upgrade. Another who will want an off-the-pace trip and a hot pace, which is no guarantee here, although I think the addition of Fenwick means there will be a decent pace up front. I’m not sure she’s fast enough to win, but she’s certainly a good possibility to hit the board, as she wasn’t embarrassed at all in the Arkansas Derby with that finish, considering the trip.
5. Early Voting (7-2)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Ran too good to lose to Mo Donegal in the Wood Memorial. We’ll find out if he can win a pace duel with Epicenter, assuming the favorite sends, or if he can pass the favorite when the real running begins. I have mixed feelings on him, as if he loses the pace duel, it might just cause him to completely fall out of the money spots. But if Epicenter is a little tired off that fast Derby pace, maybe he can win this thing.
6. Happy Jack (30-1)
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
The owners must really like to party because they showed up in Louisville with a hopeless long shot and they’ve shown up again with a hopeless long shot at Pimlico. Go find a nice five-horse allowance out West, please.
7. Armagnac (12-1)
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
We’ve got another “Bafteen” runner here and I don’t know if it’s worth reading much into the Derby, but neither Taiba nor Messier offers much inspiration that this one can be a factor, especially when you look through the PPs and see he has twice finished behind Happy Jack. I’m guessing he’ll send and hope for the best, but all he’s got are two front-running wins in a five-horse maiden race and a six-horse Optional Allowance.
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8. Epicenter (6-5)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario
He was the horse to beat in Louisville and is the horse to beat here. Only a complete space meltdown and a lot of racing luck got him beat by a hopeless long shot. It’s really about how well he came out of the race. But I don’t think he would be here if he didn’t come out of the race well. Feels like a race with a little bit of vindication for the best 3-year-old in the game. He can go to the front if he wants it, or just sit off Early Voting or Armagnac if he wants a target to run at. And being drawn outside helps that strategy. He’ll be a key in every spot in my trifecta, weighted more heavily to the win and place spots. And if we press it a bunch of times and get something other than the second or third choice in the other exacta spot, it should be a nice payoff.
9. Skippylongstocking (20-1)
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Will be curious to see what tactics the connections take here. His only win came in front-running fashion in his maiden score, but he hasn’t been fast enough to make the lead in any other race and opted for closing/stalking trips. He was no match for Mo Donegal or Early Voting in the Wood, so not sure he’s a serious exacta threat here, but he’s not without exacta hope if there’s a bit more of a pace duel than expected. He’ll be limited to being part of the underneath portions of my trifectas and that’s it.