Updated: May 21 7:30 PM EST

Below are the post-positions, jockey assignments are morning line odds for the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes this Saturday at Pimlico. Post time is 7:01 PM EST and the race will be televised by NBC. This should be a great race. Any time you have a filly racing against the boys, it usually gets a larger TV audience.

2022 Preakness Stakes Starting Field

1) Simplification (6/1) – The Antonio Sano-trained colt surprised many with a 4th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. I feel that he is probably a bigger threat for the Belmont Stakes but he has a great jockey in John Velazquez.

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Career: 8 Starts 3-1-2-1 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 1st–>3rd–>4th
Sire: Not This Time
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: John Velazquez
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 96 – 2022 Kentucky Derby

2) Creative Minister (10/1) – The Kenneth McPeek trainee has yet to race in a major stakes race but has displayed the talent to be a threat in this field.

Career: 3 Starts 2-1-0-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 2nd–>1st–>1st
Sire: Creative Cause (Finished 3rd in the 2012 Preakness Stakes)
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 92 – Allowance Claiming Race at Churchill Downs 5/7/22

3) Fenwick (50/1) – The lone 50-1 longshot in the field. He bombed in the Blue Grass Stakes with an 11th-place finish. One thing working in his favor, his sire Curlin won the 2007 Preakness Stakes.

Career: 6 Starts 1-1-0-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 6th–>1st–>11th
Sire: Curlin (Winner of the 2007 Preakness Stakes)
Trainer: Kevin McKathan
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 88 – Maiden Weight Special at Tampa Bay Downs 3/12/22

4) Secret Oath (9/2) – The Kentucky Oaks winning filly. She is extremely talented and an impressive physical specimen but I am not betting her to win. Consider her in your exotic bets though.

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Career: 8 Starts 5-0-2-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 1
Last 3 starts: 1st–>3rd–>1st
Sire: Arrogate
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas (1980,1985,1994,1995,1999 & 2013 Preakness Stakes Winning Trainer)
Jockey: Luis Saez
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 94 – 2022 Kentucky Oaks

5) Early Voting (7/2) – The Withers Stake winner lost a close race in the Wood Memorial by a neck to Mo Donegal. I love this colt’s future and he is a well-deserved 2nd favorite in this field.

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Career: 3 Starts 2-1-0-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 1st–>1st–>2nd
Sire: Gun Runner
Trainer: Chad Brown (2017 Preakness Stakes Winning Trainer)
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 96 – 2022 Wood Memorial

6) Happy Jack (30/1) – The Doug O’Neill-trained colt finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby. His sire Oxbow won the 2012 Preakness Stakes. His trainer and jockey have both won a Preakness Stakes before as well.

Career: 5 Starts 1-0-3-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 3rd–>3rd–>14th
Sire: Oxbow (Winner of the 2013 Preakness Stakes)
Trainer: Doug O’Neill (2012 Preakness Stakes Winning Trainer)
Jockey: Tyler Gafflione (2019 Preakness Stakes Winner)
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 83 – 2022 Santa Anita Derby

7) Armagnac (12/1) – The progeny of Quality Road was previously trained by Bob Baffert. He won in his last start, a claiming race at Santa Anita Park on May 8th. His start previous to that race was the Santa Anita Derby where he finished 4th.

Career: 5 Starts 2-0-1-1 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 6th–>4th–>1st
Sire: Quality Road
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 93 – Allowance Claiming Race at Santa Anita 5/8/22

8) Epicenter (6/5) – My favorite to win Preakness. This time he shouldn’t have a great closer stealing his thunder.

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Career: 7 Starts 4-2-0-0 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 1st–>1st–>2nd
Sire: Not This Time
Trainer: Steve Asmussen (2007 & 2009 Preakness Stakes Winning Trainer)
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 102- 2022 Louisiana Derby

9) Skippylongstocking (20/1) – Of all the longshots, this one is my favorite as I think he has the ability to take a step up in competition. In his last four starts, he improved his Beyer Speed Figure each time: 60, 79, 88 to 91. Plus, his sire Exaggerator is a former Preakness Stakes winner (2016).

Career: 9 Starts 2-1-2-3 Grade 1 Stakes Wins: 0
Last 3 starts: 4th–>1st–>3rd
Sire: Exaggerator (Winner of the 2016 Preakness Stakes)
Trainer: Saffie Joseph
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Career Best Beyer Speed Figure: 91- 2022 Wood Memorial

Betting Strategies

So far, the Pimlico track today seems to be rewarding early speed and those who get out front early. This will hurt Simplification unless they change his closer style. I plan to place a big win bet on Epicenter and an Exacta keying Epicenter to win over Early Voting (8 over 5). I will make two small exotic bets, also keying Epicenter to win: a Trifecta (8 over 5 over 1,2,4,9) and Superfecta (8 over 1,2,4,5,9 over 1,2,4,5,9 over 1,2,4,9).

In addition to the above, I made a $10 Boxed Exacta bet with Epicenter and Early Voting.

Argh! I need to take my own conservative gut feeling advice!

For Beyer Speed Past Performances, click here: https://www.drf.com/formulator/pp-details/05-21-2022/PIM/13/D/USA

–Michael