Preakness Stakes Preview

The Preakness Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st, at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland. The big name that is most likely going to race here is Nyquist, this year’s Kentucky Derby winner. As the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Derby winner traditionally races here, but not always. The Preakness is a little shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which is a nice break before the grueling Belmont Stakes. That leaves the door open for a speed horse to perform well here.

The good news for those that would love to see a repeat Triple Crown winner this year is that Nyquist is a speed horse. He had the fastest speed figures going into the Derby, and that makes him a pretty strong favorite. Exaggerator and Gun Runner are also expected to enter the Preakness, both of whom had great races at the Derby, finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The 9th place horse, Lani, is also expected to enter the race.

Other big names that might be entered are Abiding Star, who is currently under quarantine, and the Todd Pletcher trained Stradivari. Both of these horses are potential upset to the presumed favorite: Nyquist.

At this stage, without formal entries being in, and no post positions selected, it’s hard to say who the favorite is, but Nyquist seems like the horse most likely to win. Exaggerator had a great Kentucky Derby finish, and with a long race probably would have edged Nyquist out. But the Preakness is half a furlong shorter. If Exaggerator runs at Belmont and races well here, he’s our top pick right now for that race, but let’s take things one step at a time.