The 2nd leg of racing's Triple Crown; the Preakness Stakes takes center stage today. While the Kentucky Derby is one of the toughest races to gauge, this race is one of the easiest. I've been lucky enough to select the winner of this race, six times in the last eight years. That includes the exacta or triple in the last four straight runnings. There are a lot of misconceptions of the Preakness Stakes throughout the years and many myths.
The Pimlico racetrack has been chronicled as a track with "tight turns". When in fact, the Pimlico racetrack is no different than the typical one mile oval. It is thought that the track favors "speed" because of it's design. Once again, there is no notable favoritism toward speed horses or closers on it's racing strip. Many people think that "fresh horses" have a better chance of winning the Preakness Stakes than Derby runners or also rans in that race. In the last thirty years, only five winners (Aloma's Ruler, Deputed Testimony, Red Bullet, Bernardini & Rachel Alexandra) did not race in the Kentucky Derby and were "new" shooters to the race.
So, the myths and misconceptions about horses winning the Kentucky Derby are parallel to the same myths and misconceptions of Pimlico and the Preakness Stakes. Thus, the five Kentucky Derby runners here in this race, have a shot in winning this race. Meanwhile, the other nine "new" shooters chances are a little less because they didn't race in the first leg of the Triple Crown.
It doesn't help that the Kentucky Derby winner; Animal Kingdom was 20-1 in his victory. But, when Charismatic won the Derby at 31-1, he had no problem repeating that effort in the Preakness. This bodes well for Animal Kingdom's chances to win two thirds of the Triple Crown. Troubled trip favorites and "also rans" have bounced back in the Preakness Stakes. Runners like; Snow Chief, Hansel, Prairie Bayou, Timber Country and Point Given were beaten favorites in the Kentucky Derby and bounced back to win the Preakness. This gives Dialed In a good shot today in winning also.
So, the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown is a lot easier to decipher than the cavalry charge of 20 runners in the Kentucky Derby . But, the group this year of three year old colts is as evenly matched as ever. Plus, we get a full field of 14 runners with all the above things mention. That makes a good betting event, with the hope of a Triple Crown contender in Animal Kingdom come Belmont Stakes time in three weeks after this race. Dialed In, hoping to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Derby and winning a five million dollar bonus with a Preakness victory because of the Magna challenge that included his wins in the Holy Bull Stakes and Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Or a possible "new" shooters like; Astrology or Sway Away (who just missed the Derby because of earnings) becoming only the sixth "non-derby" horse winning this race since 1980. We get all these possibilities today in a race that I've been pretty lucky in getting the "right" winners with the "right" horses underneath. Again this year, there's a lot on the line with my selections. Let's hope the streak continues!
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