Early Preakness Stakes Horse Race Betting Picks

We are still almost 2 full weeks away from the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Park in Baltimore, and only a fool would start making picks at this early stage of the game. I guess I have to be a little bit of a fool then, as I am going to take a look at what might well play out in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Keep in mind that this is very much crystal ball gazing at this point, as there are a lot of things that can happen between now and race day. Horses may drop out, and adverse weather conditions in the days leading up to the race could leave us with a track that is in less than ideal condition. I will update my Preakness Stakes odds picks during the week of the race, but for now, let’s have some fun and make some predictions.

Early Preakness Stakes Horse Race Betting Picks

The champ is here! #Nyquist #Preakness pic.twitter.com/2i6nqbN2YQ

— Preakness Stakes (@PreaknessStakes) May 10, 2016

Who will win the Preakness?

If I was forced to answer that question right now, I would have to say that this is down to a 2-horse race, and it’s the two horses you would likely expect. Nyquist looked absolutely magnificent in winning the Kentucky Derby, and is now unbeaten in all 8 career starts. This horse does nothing but win, and he can do so from a variety of different positions. It doesn’t seem to matter what the pace of the race is or how the field sets up, he finds a way to get through and take the wire. His main competition in the Preakness is going to be Exaggerator, although there are some who believe that Stradivari might be the one to topple the giant. I like Exaggerator to be the main challenger here, and he proved that he can run with Nyquist, losing by 1 ¼ lengths in the Derby. Keep in mind that this race is a little shorter in length, and that may go in the favor of Exaggerator.

Playing the Exotics

With a field this large, I usually always recommend boxing your tickets when playing the exotics, but that may not be necessary here. Boxing is a great way to maximize your chances of winning, but it also means a bigger loss if your ticket doesn’t come in. With a favorite as big as Nyquist is, you can lessen the prices of your tickets by playing him on top in all of your exotics. Singling out a winner can help you get a little more creative when choosing who might fall in behind him at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. You could also choose to key a couple of different horses on top in the exotics, and while that would cost a little more, you get some coverage in case Nyquist chooses to have an off day. I’m not going to get into the specifics of who to play right now, as I want to see how the horses train in the coming days, and whether or no scratches or the elements are going to play a role in how the race sets up. Keep checking back for more Preakness Stakes coverage over the next week to 10 days.