How To Bet On The Preakness
The Preakness Stakes is the third leg of the 2020 Triple Crown after being rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 3. Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes on June 20 and he finished runner-up in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. However, Tiz the Law will skip the Preakness and run next in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The Preakness Stakes draw was completed Sept. 28 and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was made the 9/5 morning line favorite with Art Collector (5/2) the second choice.
- How To Bet On The Preakness Online
- How To Bet On The Preakness Stakes
- How To Bet On The Preakness
- How To Bet On The Preakness Horse Race
Oct 01, 2020 If you want to take a chance on a big payoff in the Preakness race, you can attempt to predict the finishing order. Exacta betting means picking the first two horses, or you can place Trifectas (first three) and even Superfectas (first four). Tons of Preakness Stakes bets are available if you’re feeling a little exotic. May 09, 2019 Daily Double: You pick the winner of this race and the winner of another race - typically the race right before or right after this one. At the Preakness you can also bet a double that includes the. Sep 29, 2020 Still, the Preakness is shaping up as a great betting race, with a field of 11 stocked with a lot of talent expected to go postward. Preakness 2020: Post positions, morning line odds, info. If you want to take a chance on a big payoff in the Preakness race, you can attempt to predict the finishing order. Exacta betting means picking the first two, or you can place Trifectas (first three) and even Superfectas (first four). Tons of Preakness Stakes bets are available if you’re feeling a little exotic. Aug 25, 2020 While the Preakness Stakes has the shortest running-distance, you can review the top Belmont finishers to find the right bets. This year’s Belmont winner is Tiz The Law. He is then followed by Dr Post, Tap It To Win, Max Player, and Pneumatic.
In another change to Triple Crown races, the Preakness Stakes joins the Belmont Stakes as a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race to the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
Trainer Bob Baffert is the leading trainer in Triple Crown history with 16 victories after winning his record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby with Authentic. He is tied for the most wins in the Preakness with seven victories and his last two winners won the Triple Crown – Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015).
Best Preakness betting sites 2021
Preakness Stakes post positions and odds
Post Position | Horse | Opening Odds (2020) | Jockey | Last Race |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Excession | 30/1 | Sheldon Russell | 2nd in Rebel Stakes |
2 | Mr. Big News | 12/1 | Gabriel Saez | 3rd in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
3 | Art Collector | 5/2 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 1st in Ellis Derby |
4 | Swiss Skydiver | 6/1 | Robby Albarado | 2nd in Kentucky Oaks (G1) |
5 | Thousand Words | 6/1 | Florent Geroux | 1st in Shared Belief |
6 | Jesus' Team | 30/1 | Jevian Toledo | 3rd in Jim Dandy (G2) |
7 | Ny Traffic | 15/1 | Horacio Karamanos | 8th in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
8 | Max Player | 15/1 | Paco Lopez | 5th in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
9 | Authentic | 9/5 | John Velazquez | 1st in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
10 | Pneumatic | 20/1 | Joe Bravo | 1st in Pegasus Stakes |
11 | Liveyourbeastlife | 30/1 | Trevor McCarthy | 2nd in Jim Dandy (G2) |
Where to bet the Preakness Stakes and race schedule
The 145th Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Here is more information and tips on betting the Preakness Stakes, and how you can watch and wager on this year’s event.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Tablet, Online, Mobile: NBC Sports App and streamed live on NBCsports.com/live and fuboTV
- Track & Location: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
- Distance: 1 3/16 miles (9 furlongs) – since 1925
- Surface: Dirt
- Horses: 3-Year-Old Thoroughbreds
- Track Record: Secretariat (1:53.00 in 1973)
- Largest Margin of Victory: Smarty Jones (11 lengths in 2004)
The Preakness post-position draw is Monday, Sept. 28, and Preakness oddsmaker Keith Fuestle will set the odds immediately after the draw. The field is limited to a maximum of 14 starters, but the only years the Preakness starting gate was filled to capacity were 2011, 2005, and 1992.
Fans can wager legally at racetracks, simulcast centers such as Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers, and on advanced deposit wagering platforms such as TVG, BetAmerica and TwinSpires, where bettors in 31 states can legally bet on horse races from their mobile devices and web browsers. You can also wager on horse racing legally in the state of Nevada at the hundreds of casinos with race and sportsbooks.
Horse racing wagers and bets
In addition to the traditional “straight” wagers (Win, Place, Show), fans can also attempt to cash big in the various “exotic” pools. Exacta (top two finishers), Trifecta (top three), Superfecta (top four), and Super High Five (top five) wagering are all offered, and cashing a ticket in any of these pools can produce a bigger payday.
- Win: Bet on the horse you think you will win the Kentucky Derby.
- Place: Get paid the place price if your horse finishes first or second.
- Show: A show bet pays the least, but you win and get paid the show price if your horse finishes first, second or third.
- Exacta: Predict the first two horses in the correct order.
- Trifecta: Predict the first three horses in the correct order.
- Superfecta: Predict the first four horses in the correct order.
- Super High Five: Predict the first five horses in the correct order.
The Preakness Stakes betting odds are finally determined by the pari-mutuel system at the track which means your potential payout depends on how much money is in the pot overall, divided by how many bets are placed. The odds will fluctuate in the build-up to the race and never more so than in the final few moments before post time.
Picking a Preakness winner
There are many ways to handicap a horse race, and there is no shortage of opinions or angles when it comes to the handicapping the Preakness Stakes following the Kentucky Derby results. From a beginner’s betting guide to the most sophisticated tools for informed handicappers, there are many pieces of information and betting guides to assist you in identifying a potential Preakness winner and narrowing the list of top contenders.
- Handicapping horses and the races takes much time, research and intuition. Beyond studying past performance charts and horse stats, speed figures, class ratings, tracks and bias, jockey and trainer stats, horse pedigree and even post position (Preakness draw is Wednesday, Sept. 30), a handicapper has to have insight and ability to find various ways to identify horses that are ready to win. That’s especially true in a ‘normal’ year for the Derby horses that are running in the Preakness with just a two-week recovery. But the 2020 races are four weeks apart. You can review race videos, tracks, surfaces or find horses that had troubled trips in recent races. But it’s important to distill information that can help you identify horses that may offer some value next time out or others in good form or improving that can provide value wagering opportunities.
- Races and horses should be backed based on positive attributes and not as a result of who’s the best of the worst. As you study some of the betting guides and training tools, you’ll become better prepared and equipped to analyze races in a more meaningful way. That includes the Preakness Stakes along with the Kentucky Derby and the prep races leading up to the Derby. Understanding ‘how’ a horse has run leading up to a race versus the far less important ‘where’ the horse finishes and ‘what’ time he/she completed their recent races will help you become more proficient.
- Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Preakness a record-tying 7 times (D. Wayne Lucas) including in 2015 with American Pharoah and 2018 with Justify, who both went on to win the Triple Crown. Baffert is the trainer for both Authentic and Thousand Words in the 2020 race Preakness.
These sections below will be updated with additional horses and information as more runners are confirmed for the Preakness Stakes.
Front runners and “need the lead”
The pace often makes the race, and the Preakness will be no different. The horses that “need the lead” or will be forwardly placed and pressing the pace include two leading contenders and favorites Authentic and Art Collector. They will be joined up front by filly Swiss Skydiver.
Stalkers ready to pounce
With Tiz the Law opting to not run in the Preakness, there is one less top contender looking to stalk and pounce. Ny Traffic may make up more ground as he did when closing in on Authentic in the Haskell before losing by a nose.
Value Horses
Thousand Words and NyTraffic going off at higher odds provides some horses with some value below the top tier runners. Art Collector moves up as the second choice with Tiz the Law out, but sharp horse players believe he’s a real shooter after missing the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Bob Baffert is going for his record eighth Preakness win and will have two chances with Authentic and Thousand Words both leading contenders.
Last year, War of Will was identified on these pages as a value horse and he pulled the upset and won at 6/1 odds.
The Preakness has been dominated in recent years by horses who set or press/stalk the pace, but most of the time those were simply the best horses like Justify, American Pharoah, California Chrome, Big Brown and the filly Rachel Alexandra. Exaggerator was able to come from well off a hotly-contested pace to win the 2016 Preakness. An improving 3-year-old or fresher and talented colt like Art Collector or Thousand Words may be able to pull another upset, but not at odds like Clould Computing (13/1) in 2017 or Oxbow (15/1) in 2013.
How To Bet On The Preakness Online
Preakness Stakes history and results
Year | Winner | Post | Odds | Time | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 4 | 11/1 | 1:53.28 | ||
2019 | War of Will | 1 | 6/1 | 1:54.34 | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark Casse |
2018 | Justify | 7 | 1/2 | 1:55:93 | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
2017 | Cloud Computing | 2 | 13/1 | 1:55:98 | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown |
2016 | Exaggerator | 5 | 3/1 | 1:58:31 | Kent Desormeaux | J. Keith Desormeaux |
2015 | American Pharoah | 1 | 4/5 | 1:58.46 | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
2014 | California Chrome | 3 | 3/5 | 1:54.84 | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman |
2013 | Oxbow | 6 | 15/1 | 1:57:54 | Victor Espinoza | D.W. Lukas |
2012 | I'll Have Another | 9 | 3/1 | 1:55.94 | G. Stevens | D. O'Neill |
2011 | Shackleford | 5 | 12/1 | 1:56.21 | M. Guiterrez | D. Romans |
2010 | Lookin At Lucky | 7 | 5/2 | 1:55.47 | J. Castanon | B. Baffert |
2009 | Rachel Alexandra | 13 | 9/5 | 1:55.05 | M. Garcia | S. Asmussen |
2008 | Big Brown | 6 | 1/5 | 1:54.80 | C. Borel | R. Dutrow Jr. |
2007 | Curlin | 4 | 7/2 | 1:53.46 | K. Desormeaux | S. Asmussen |
2006 | Bernardini | 8 | 12/1 | 1:54.65 | R. Albarado | T. Albertrani |
2005 | Afleet Alex | 12 | 3/1 | 1:55.04 | J. Castellano | T. Ritchey |
2004 | Smarty Jones | 7 | 3/5 | 1:55.59 | J. Rose | J. Servis |
2003 | Funny Cide | 9 | 9/5 | 1:55.61 | S. Elliott | B. Tagg |
2002 | War Emblem | 8 | 5/2 | 1:56.36 | J. Santos | B. Baffert |
2001 | Point Given | 11 | 2/1 | 1:55.51 | V. Espinoza | B. Baffert |
2000 | Red Bullet | 4 | 7/1 | 1:56.04 | G. Stevens | J. Orseno |
1999 | Charismatic | 6 | 8/1 | 1:55.32 | J. Bailey | D.W. Lukas |
1998 | Real Quiet | 10 | 5/2 | 1:54.75 | C. Antley | B. Baffert |
1997 | Silver Charm | 7 | 3/1 | 1:54.84 | K. Desormeaux | B. Baffert |
Known as the second jewel of the Triple Crown, it is naturally one of the biggest events on the horse racing calendar. The Preakness Stakes attracts tons of attention, even from those who don’t follow horse racing much.
More than 5 million viewers watched the live broadcast of last year’s edition on NBC. Over 130,000 people attended the race live and in person at the host track Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It set a record for betting handle on that day at nearly $100 million.
Horse racing fans circle the date of the Preakness on their calendar every year, as it is one of the highlights of the season. It’s an exciting race that attracts the best the sport has to offer.
As the betting handle and viewership numbers indicate, it’s not only the die-hards who get involved. The Preakness is one of the few races that attract nationwide attention, which makes it an ideal race for those looking to get started with betting on horse races.
It’s a fun pastime that’s easy to get started with, and it can be potentially lucrative to boot. We’re going to take a look at everything you need to know to get started right here, beginning with an important tidbit for Colorado residents.
Bet on the Preakness Stakes in Colorado
2020 Preakness Stakes Odds & Post Positions
Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Opening Odds | Morning Line Odds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Excession | Sheldon Russell | 30-1 | TBD |
2 | Mr. Big News | Gabriel Saez | 12-1 | TBD |
3 | Art Collector | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 5-2 | TBD |
4 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Albarado | 6-1 | TBD |
5 | Thousand Words | Florent Geroux | 6-1 | TBD |
6 | Jesus' Team | Jevian Toleldo | 30-1 | TBD |
7 | Ny Traffic | Horacio Karamanos | 15-1 | TBD |
8 | Max Player | Paco Lopez | 15-1 | TBD |
9 | Authentic | John Velazquez | 9-5 | TBD |
10 | Pneumatic | Joe Bravo | 20-1 | TBD |
11 | Liveyourbeastlife | Trevor McCarthy | 30-1 | TBD |
Is it legal to bet on the Preakness Stakes in Colorado?
Yes, it’s completely legal to bet on horse racing in Colorado, and it has been that way for the state’s residents for several decades. The industry is overseen by the Colorado Racing Commission, which maintains a clear-cut set of rules and regulations on the main state website.
Colorado is home to one operating racetrack, as well as several off-track betting (OTB) venues. Folks can visit those locations and place bets on tracks across the nation. However, that’s not the only option.
It’s also completely legal and safe to bet via mobile apps in Colorado. Naturally, you’ll need to be playing on a reputable and regulated operator. We’ll provide our top recommendation.
If you’ve been on the fence about horse race betting in Colorado, the legality issue isn’t a roadblock. Officials sorted it out a long time ago, and there aren’t any signs of it changing in the future.
How to bet on horse racing
When it’s time to bet on the Preakness Stakes, you’ll need to be able to place to wager. While wagering at an OTB or simulcast facility can be a fun experience, that’s not always the most convenient option.
Betting online or via your mobile device takes care of that issue. TVG is the top choice for horse race betting in Colorado. Even better, TVG is a lot more than just a site for betting. It’s a live network that provides extensive coverage of horse racing.
Action from tracks across the nation is broadcast live on TVG, which is available on leading cable and streaming providers. You can also download the TVG app right to your smart TV to watch whenever you wish.
TVG offers an excellent platform that’s easy to use and provides all of the available bet types. To create an account, just click on our exclusive links.
You’ll get a first deposit bonus of 50% up to $250 just for doing so. The promo code LSRTVG should be there automatically. Then enter a few basic pieces of info, such as your name and email address, and then click “Complete Registration.”
How To Bet On The Preakness Stakes
Your new account will be created instantaneously. After taking some time to look around the site, follow the instructions on the home page to download the Apple app for iOS. Log in on your mobile device, and you’ll be able to bet whenever and wherever.
There isn’t a TVG app for Android at present, but the website is fully optimized to work on mobile devices. Visit the site from your mobile web browser and log in once your account is all set, and you’ll be good to go.
Horse racing bet types
Beyond just picking the winner, there are several bet types for horse racing. Here’s a run-through of the main wagering opportunities you’ll come across:
- Win: This is a wager on which horse will win the race.
- Place: A place bet means that you like a horse to finish in second place or better.
- Show: If you place a show bet, the horse you select needs to finish third or better.
- Exacta: An exacta is a bet on the top-two finishers in the race.
- Trifecta: For this bet, you have to pick the top-three finishers.
- Superfecta: This wager is on the top-four finishers in the race.
Of these bet types, win, place and show are the most common, while the others are exotic wagers. In the first category, you can place any of those bet types on individual horses in the race.
You can also cover multiple outcomes by placing a bet on a horse to win, place or show. For the other group, you can choose the horses to finish in order. That’s pretty difficult, but you can also “box” your selections, which means that your picks can finish in any order.
Depending on the race, you may also see several other bet types, such as:
- Quinella: Pretty much the same as an exacta box bet where you’re picking the top two.
- Super High Five: The goal is to choose the top five finishing horses in the race in order.
- Pick 3: You have to pick the winner of three consecutive races.
- Pick 4: A winning ticket means that you picked four straight winners.
- Pick 5: Picking the winners of five consecutive races on the card.
- Pick 6: A bet on the winners for six straight races.
How To Bet On The Preakness
You can place each of these bet types at multiple denominations, but the minimums may be different at certain tracks. For example, some venues offer win bets for as little as $1, while the minimum may be $2 elsewhere.
For the exotics, you can start with a small wager amount for straight wagers, but the cost will climb for box bets or when more selections are added to the ticket. For example, some tracks offer a straight trifecta for as little as $0.50, while a box of that wager would cost $6 at that amount.
The road to the Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is the second race of what’s known as horse racing’s Triple Crown. It’s held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, and a number of the same horses will compete in both of them.
For the Derby, there are as many as 20 starters in the field. There’s a clear-cut qualification stage known as “the Road to the Derby.” The Preakness field typically includes 14 starters. Here’s how they are selected:
- The first seven spots are reserved for top earners in graded stakes races, including the Derby.
- The next four slots are for top-four lifetime earners in nonrestricted races.
- The final three spots are given to horses with the most lifetime earnings regardless of race.
The top-five finishers in the Derby get priority, but the above process determines the rest of the field. Barring injury, horses that fare well in the Derby will generally be in the field for the Preakness as well.
Naturally, the horse that wins the Derby will see a ton of betting action as it continues on its quest for the Triple Crown. If the same horse manages to win the Preakness as well, then interest will be absolutely through the roof for the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, which takes place in early June each year.
History of the Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes debuted in 1873. Outside of three years, from 1891 through 1893, it has been run every year since then. After the Kentucky Derby, the race attracts the most attention from a national perspective each year.
It’s a 1 3/16 mile race on a dirt track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD. As a general rule, it’s a wildly entertaining event that has offered up some incredible performances through the years.
How To Bet On The Preakness Horse Race
Here are the last 10 winners of the Preakness along with their finishing times:
- 2019: War of Will, 1:54:34
- 2018: Justify, 1:55:93
- 2017: Cloud Computing, 1:55:98
- 2016: Exaggerator, 1:58:31
- 2015: American Pharoah, 1:58:46
- 2014: California Chrome, 1:54:84
- 2013: Oxbow, 1:57:54
- 2012: I’ll Have Another, 1:55:94
- 2011: Shackleford, 1:56:47
- 2010: Lookin at Lucky, 1:55:47
For last year’s Preakness, War of Will took it down by one-and-a-quarter lengths over second-place Everfast and third-place Owendale. Here’s what the morning line odds looked like for the 13 entrants, listed in order by finishing position.
- 1- War of Will, 4-1
- 2- Everfast, 50-1
- 3- Owendale, 10-1
- 4- Warrior’s Charge, 12-1
- 5- Laughing Fox, 12-1
- 6- Improbable, 5-2
- 7- Win Win Win, 15-1
- 8- Bourbon War, 12-1
- 9- Signalman, 30-1
- 10- Anothertwistafate, 6-1
- 11- Alwaysmining, 8-1
- 12- Market King, 30-1
- DNF- Bodexpress, 20-1
Preakness Stakes betting tips
Horses that proved themselves in the Derby will be among the favorites at the Preakness. You can look their way for bets and call it a day, but you can also dig a little deeper to find some under-the-radar choices.
A long shot winning the race isn’t out of the question, and horses with lower odds can also be a nice addition to your exotic wagers such as trifectas and superfectas.
Here are a couple of spots you can look to narrow down the field of horses:
- Recent Form: Horses that have run well in recent races are more likely to continue doing so. The same applies in reverse for those who have been sluggish of late. Review how the horses in the field have fared in recent races. Pay especially close attention to what place they have finished in on the biggest races on the docket.
- Money Earned: If you’re looking for a simple way to sort through the horses by overall strength and quality, this is one to check out. Just like in any other sport, the top performers make the most money. Horses that have a good track record of earnings have placed well in races, so they are, naturally, ones to watch.
- Average Speed Ratings: There are lots of stats involved with horse racing, but perhaps none is more important than overall speed rating. This is a metric that essentially places a strength rating on each horse in numeric form. The total speed rating is a good place to look, but the average speed rating for a horse’s last three races can be especially telling.
Horse racing in Colorado
There’s just one currently operating race track in the state of Colorado. The calendar of racing events typically runs from mid-May through August and features thoroughbred and Arabian horse racing. Here are the details.
- Arapahoe Park
- Mile High Racing & Entertainment
- 26000 East Quincy Avenue
- Aurora, CO 80016
Arapahoe also has full simulcasting on-site, featuring racing from tracks across the US. In addition, Colorado residents have a number of completely legal OTB facilities that they can place on their bucket list.
These venues also provide full simulcasting of the races, and you can legally and safely place your wagers as well. A full list of currently operating Colorado OTB facilities can be found here on the Colorado Department of Revenue website.
Also, don’t forget that you can bet online or via mobile with TVG at any time once you have created your account via our exclusive links.