A Look at the 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Favorites

From the moment that Justify hit the wire at the Kentucky Derby, the talk about him being the 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting favorite and potentially Triple Crown winner began. There is no denying that the performance he put in was one for the ages, but as we have seen in the past, winning 3 major races in a stunningly short amount of time is just not that easy. There have only been 12 Triple Crown winners in the past 142 years, and only 23 horses have ever won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. This year’s edition of the Preakness will go off on Saturday, May 19 at Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore. It’s going to be a smaller field with a very definite favorite, but as we have seen in the past, this race is one that very often delivers some big surprises. Let’s take a closer look at the horse racing odds for this weekend.

A Look at the 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Favorites

• When: May 19, 2018
• Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
• Distance: 1 3⁄16 mi (9.5 furlongs; 1,900 m)
• Surface: Dirt
• Purse: $1.5 million

Justify

• 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: -225

No real surprise here that the Kentucky Derby winner is the overwhelming favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. While this horse does not have a ton of experience, having only raced 4 times in his career, he seems like a naturally gifted animal. With his win a couple of weeks ago, he became the first horse in over 125 years to win the Kentucky Derby after skipping his 2-year old racing season. His performance at the Derby was nothing short of stunning. He went right off from the start, and never really looked in any kind of danger. If he can run at his best, there is no way any horse in this race is going to get close to him.

Good Magic

• 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: +250

There were a lot of horses who did not care for the slop at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, but Good Magic was not one of them. He seemed to revel in the messy track conditions, running a very strong second. He looked as though he had a lot of gas left in the tank coming down the home stretch last time out, and since the Preakness is a shorter distance than the Derby, he may be the main threat to Justify. There is also talk that we are in for a wet, stormy Saturday in Baltimore, which may lead to the slop that this horse seems to love.

Quip

• 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: +1200

This is a horse that earned enough points to be in the Kentucky Derby, but it was decided that he did not have the experience to handle the craziness of that race. Justify proved that experience really means very little after his performance at the Derby, and we may see more of the same here. Oddly enough, Quip has strong connections to Justify, as some of the partners who own the Derby winner also have shares in Quip. How ironic would it be for this horse to kill the Triple Crown dreams of Justify? This is a horse that has blazing early speed, and he will set the pace that will decide this race.

Bravazo

• 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: +1200

While he will be on the board as a longshot, Bravazo is a horse that cannot be ignored in this field. Bravazo has an impressive 6th place finish at the Derby, and it can be argued that he benefitted somewhat from the track conditions and the fact that many of the favorites simply shied away from the slop. It would certainly be a shocker to see him win this race, but he does have a shot at getting in the money.

The Rest

• Lone Sailor: +900
• Diamond King: +1500
• Tenfold: +2000
• Sporting Chance: +3000

Last 10 Preakness Stakes Winners

• 2017: Cloud Computing
• 2016: Exaggerator
• 2015: American Pharoah
• 2014: California Chrome
• 2013: Oxbow
• 2012: I’ll Have Another
• 2011: Shackleford
• 2010: Lookin At Lucky
• 2009: Rachel Alexandra
• 2008: Big Brown