2016 Preakness Win, Place, and Show Picks

Casual bettors who don’t normally invest a lot of time or money in horse racing selections will generally put a winning ticket on a single horse in the big races and just hope for the best. While this is a fun way to generate a little more interest in the race, it is not really the best way to build your bankroll. You can guarantee that when the 141 st running of the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico in Baltimore on Saturday, May 21, there will be a huge number of people who will have money riding on Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. It looks like a pretty safe bet, but it’s not one that is really going to deliver a huge payout given that this horse is guaranteed to be a short horse racing odds favorite. That means getting a little creative and looking for some value elsewhere. Let’s take a look at how you can do that.

A Closer Look at the 2016 Preakness Win, Place, and Show Picks

Preakness Win Picks

If you are planning on betting on Nyquist, be prepared to put on a large amount of money in order to get a very small return. It looks like a pretty safe bet at this point, but it’s also worth remembering that a lot of strange things can happen in these big races, and the favorite is not always able to deliver. You really need to look at how this race will set up in regards pace, and then try to figure out if said pace will be more suited to another horse. For example, if you expect things to get very fast up front, you should be looking at a horse that likes to make a late run, as he may just be able to catch them all in the stretch. If that’s not something you really know how to do, then let’s look at some safer alternatives that could still make you some money.

Preakness Place Picks

When you play a horse to place, you are betting that it will finish either first or second. If it wins, you will not get as much back as you would have if you had played it on the nose, but that’s a small price to pay for a little bit of a safety net. Your obvious choices here would be the horses that ran 2nd and 3rd in the Derby, which means looking at Exaggerator and Gun Runner. Since they have already proven their ability to handle the big race pressure, they may be decent bets for a share of the spoils. Stradivari did not run at Churchill Downs, but he looks like a good place possibility.

Preakness Show Picks

The biggest safety net you can get is in the show pick, which means that you get money back if your horse finishes in the top 3. Again, it’s a smaller payout than a win or place bet, but it’s a wager that allows you to get some money on one of the higher priced horses. If you are particularly in love with a longshot, the show pick is the way to go. You will still get a very nice return on your money if a long odds horse comes in, so horses like Collected, Laoban, and Uncle Lino may well fit this bill.