California Chrome is the heavy favorite as nine contenders line up at the Preakness Stakes betting window. See the latest horse racing odds and predictions.
Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome drew the No. 3 post and is the 3-5 morning line favorite for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of racing's Triple Crown.
Trained by Art Sherman and ridden by Victor Espinoza, the strapping colt with the modest pedigree faces seven foes that did not race in the Kentucky Derby, including a couple of up and coming speedy runners that are hoping to dash any hope of this colt becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Social Inclusion is the second choice among the Preakness Stakes contenders on the morning line at 5-1 and makes just his fourth career start. The colt won his first two starts by a combined 17 ½ lengths, and then ran third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, failing to earn enough points to crack the Top 20 in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Points Standings.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out Bayern, who is the co-third choice at 10-1 on the morning line. The colt was disqualified from the win in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 26 for drifting in and causing interference in the stretch.
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Baffert will be looking for his sixth Preakness win. The trainer last won the race with Lookin At Lucky in 2010. The trainer also won the race in 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002.
Of the 18 horses that California Chrome beat in the Kentucky Derby, only two are coming back two weeks later, General a Rod and Ride On Curlin.
General a Rod did not have a very good trip in an 11th place finish. The colt had run third in the Florida Derby in his previous outing. Trainer Mike Maker will give Javier Castellano a leg up and is 15-1 on the morning line.
Ride On Curlin drew the outside 10 post and is looking to bounce back off a seventh place finish , beaten 6 ¾ lengths by the Derby winner. The colt has lost four in a row but did land in the money in his three Derby preps including a runner up finish in the Arkansas Derby behind Danza. The colt is the co-third choice on the morning line at 10-1 with Joel Rosario in the irons.
Here are the official morning line odds and post positions for the Preakness Stakes. For the latest betting odds and props for the race check out Odds Shark.
The Preakness Stakes
Post Horse ML Odds
1 Dynamic Impact 12-1
2 General a Rod 15-1
3 California Chrome 3-5
4 Ring Weekend 20-1
5 Bayern 10-1
6 Ria Antonia 30-1
7 Kid Cruz 20-1
8 Social Inclusion 5+1
9 Pablo Del Monte 20-1
10 Ride On Curlin 10-1