Hawkeye State gamblers, how do you want to bet on the Preakness Stakes?
You can wager at TVG, which provides streaming, handicapping and horse betting access for the $1 million event. The approximate post time is at 5:48 p.m. Saturday.
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You can also wager in conjunction with live racing at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona. The state’s lone thoroughbred track accepts Preakness bets and runs live cards at 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Preakness Stakes odds, post positions
Here are the post positions, jockeys and odds established during Tuesday’s Preakness draw. Odds will become official at post-time Saturday:
| Post Position | Odds | Jockey |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ram | 30-1 | Ricardo Santana Jr. |
| 2. Keepmeinmind | 15-1 | David Cohen |
| 3. Medina Spirit | 9-5 | John Velazquez |
| 4. Crowded Trade | 10-1 | Javier Castellano |
| 5. Midnight Bourbon | 5-1 | Irad Ortiz |
| 6. Rombauer | 12-1 | Flavien Prat |
| 7. France Go De Ina | 20-1 | Joel Rosario |
| 8. Unbridled Honor | 15-1 | Luis Saez |
| 9. Risk Taking | 15-1 | Jose Ortiz |
| 10. Concert Tour | 5-2 | Mike Smith |
Will Medina Spirit run in the Preakness?
Drama surrounds favored Medina Spirit, who failed a post-race drug test after winning the Kentucky Derby and may have the win invalidated.
For now, Preakness officials reached a deal with Medina Spirit’s trainer Bob Baffert to allow the horse to compete pending a successful pre-race drug test. As of Friday morning, Medina Spirit has cleared the first round of testing.
Baffert is a hall-of-fame trainer who guided the last two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.
If Medina Spirit or second-favored Concert Tour win, Baffert will have eight Preakness wins.
Triple Crown positioning
The Preakness Stakes was first run in 1873, is the middle jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
Most Kentucky Derby winners run in it. A sweep of the Derby and Preakness enables a horse to compete for a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.
The Preakness, at 1 3/16 miles, is the shortest Triple Crown event. The Derby is 1.25 miles and the Belmont Stakes — set for June 5— is 1.5 miles.
Horses who did not run in the Derby are known as “new shooters,” and they comprise most of the Preakness field. Only Medina Spirit, Keepmeinmind and Midnight Bourbon ran in the Derby this year. The remainder of the lineup fit a newcomers’ group, which usually produces a top-three finisher at good betting odds.
When the top Kentucky Derby horses skipped the Preakness in 2019, “new shooters” helped create a monstrous payout of $519,254 for a $1 superfecta.
That’s because newcomers Everfast at 25-1, Owendale at 7-1 and Warrior’s Charge at 12-1 ran second, third and fourth. War of Will, who had run seventh in the Derby, won the race at 6-1.
Horse predictions at Preakness 2021
In recent years, winning horses have been near the lead during the first half of the race. Medina Spirit and Concert Tour are expected to fill that role here.
Medina Spirit catches a break with chief rivals Mandaloun, Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie — all of whom he nipped to win the Derby — not running here. The question will be whether he gets in a speed duel with other horses that compromise him later.
Concert Tour comes off of a disappointing third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby. He’ll get betting money because of the Baffert connection and an inconsistent field. Only two of its entrants — Medina Spirit and Ram — won their last race.
It’s that kind of year: Horses can’t put a string of big races together.
Medina Spirit lost his last outing before winning the Derby. Concert Tour tries to rebound from a dull effort.
Midnight Bourbon and Keepmeinmind both experienced traffic trouble in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby and ran out of money. In the 10-horse Preakness, they should obtain a smoother trip.
It will be interesting to watch Keepmeinmind. He came out of the gate a couple of seconds behind the field in the Derby, was dead last most of the race and rallied for seventh. A better break would put him in a position to hit the top three.
Rombauer ran third in the Blue Grass Stakes to Highly Motivated and Essential Quality, who won’t run here. By default, he moves up and will obtain some respect.
Unbridled Honor, Crowded Trade and Risk Taking would need to improve a level to hit the board. Unbridled Honor is a late runner who would benefit from a speed duel weakening Medina Spirit.
France Go De Ina and Ram need to go up about two notches. But anything is possible. These are good, but not exceptional, horses.
The legendary Secretariat established the stakes record of 1:53 in 1973.
Swiss Skydiver, the sixth filly to win this event, finished just .28 seconds off that mark last year. The horse prevailed in an epic homestretch battle with Kentucky Derby-winning Authentic, one of the greatest Preakness finishes ever.
Bet on horses at Praire Meadows this weekend
If you make the trip to Altoona, here is some pertinent information released by Prairie Meadows:
Friday, May 14
- 10:30 a.m.: Pimlico Race Course wagering opens and is available at Level 4. Advance wagering on the Preakness Stakes card also begins.
- 5 p.m.: Track Apron and the pari-mutuel windows open.
- 6 p.m.: Prairie Meadows live racing begins.
Saturday, May 15
- 10:30 a.m.: Preakness Stakes wagering will be available at Level 4.
- 5 p.m.: Track Apron and the pari-mutuel windows open.
The Preakness also sports an extraordinary undercard throughout the afternoon:
- The $250 Dinner Party Stakes began in 1870; it is Pimlico’s oldest stakes event.
- $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes
- $150,000 Gallorette Stakes
- $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes
- A group of $100,000 races includes the Arabian Derby, Sir Barton Stakes, James Murphy Stakes, Jim McKay Stakes Race and Skipat Stakes.
