As we enter Preakness week 2019, the anticipation is rising. With 12 horses now expected to contest the May 18 classic at Pimlico, bettors will be treated to the largest field since 2011. It’s time to sort through the Preakness Stakes odds and make sense of the contenders.
Despite the absence of disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security and actual winner Country House, the Preakness Stakes betting odds should still be more than enough to entice the wagering public to get involved.
The top three horses according to the best racebooks are the following:
With Improbable (+175) listed as the wagering favorite at online bookmakers, I like the opportunity to realize betting value elsewhere in the field. In total, four Kentucky Derby contenders are expected to return in the Preakness, with War of Will (+275), Win Win Win (+1000), and Bodexpress (+1600) joining Improbable. I won't hesitate to say that I'm betting against the entire quartet as fresher runners hold more appeal in this spot.
Bookmakers list the 12 contenders scheduled to line up accordingly and their respective Preakness Stakes betting lines.
Of these runners, I am most intrigued by a pair of new shooters, Alwaysmining and Owendale. The former rides a six race winning streak into the Preakness and the latter was a visually impressive winner of the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland last month. Both horses have been prepared and pointed towards the Preakness as the lacked enough participation points to qualify for the Derby.
Alwaysmining has a lot going for him in addition to being better-rested than many of his primary rivals. The Kelly Rubley-trained colt won the Frederico Tesio at Laurel in his last start and that 1 1/8-mile race answered any lingering questions there may have been about his ability to handle a classic distance. His sire, Stay Thirsty, won the Travers Stakes at 1 1/4-miles, so the 1 3/8-mile Preakness should be well within his scope. This up-and-coming colt is reportedly training with enthusiasm and should be sitting on go for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a prettier move than the one Owendale made in the Lexington Stakes. The Brad Cox trainee, swept passed the field with ease around the final turn and looked to have plenty more in the tank. This looks like a nimble and athletic colt that should easily handle the tigher turns at Pimlico. He's doing well right now and can be a huge factor in this race with only slight improvement.
I'll be looking to go exotic in the Preakness, as the trifecta and superfecta should offer excellent wagering value. In the trifecta, I'll use Alwaysmining, Owendale, Improbable, and Bodexpress in a four-horse box that will cost $24 for every $1 base bet. Don't forget about the 50-cent base option if you're a smaller-budgeted player.
$1 trifecta box: Owendale, Improbable, Alwaysmining, and Bodexpress = $12 on 50-cent base wager
Let's also take a stab at the superfecta, where I'll use the same four runners above and add Signalman, who I think can close ground late and get a piece of it. For the sake of keeping ticket costs down, I'll assemble a part wheel that looks like this:
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