| Horse |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medina Spirit | +180 | +185 | +200 |
| Concert Tour | +250 | +200 | +275 |
| Midnight Bourbon | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Crowded Trade | +1000 | +800 | +1000 |
| Risk Taking | +1500 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Rombauer | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
The 2021 Preakness Stakes is one of the most important horse races of the year. You have come to the right place to find out the top contenders for the Preakness, the most interesting longshots, and the best online sportsbooks for betting the Preakness!
The Preakness Stakes is traditionally the second leg of the American Triple Crown. Run as the third leg in October last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is back in its original mid-May spot as the second leg this year: Saturday, May 15.
Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby, will face nine others in the 1 3/16-mile, $1 million Preakness. His major foes include stablemate Concert Tour, Kentucky Derby runner Midnight Bourbon, and shippers Crowded Trade and Rombauer.
2021 Preakness Field
The 2021 Preakness field, with Preakness trainers and jockeys as well as official morning lines, is as follows:
-
Ram - D. Wayne Lukas/Ricardo Santana, Jr. (30-1)
-
Keepmeinmind - Robertino Diodoro/David Cohen (15-1)
-
Medina Spirit - Bob Baffert/John Velazquez (9-5)
-
Crowded Trade - Chad Brown/Javier Castellano (10-1)
-
Midnight Bourbon - Steve Asmussen/Irad Ortiz, Jr. (5-1)
-
Rombauer - Michael McCarthy/Flavien Prat (12-1)
-
France Go De Ina - Hideyuki Mori/Joel Rosario (20-1)
-
Unbridled Honor - Todd Pletcher/Luis Saez (15-1)
-
Risk Taking - Chad Brown/Jose Ortiz (15-1)
-
Concert Tour - Bob Baffert/Mike Smith (5-2)
Preakness Contenders
#3 Medina Spirit, the Kentucky Derby winner, will be the favorite assuming he is allowed to run. After his post-Derby test came back positive, he has been allowed to enter the Preakness pending a drug test that should come back on Friday. Should Medina Spirit be allowed to run, there are a lot of reasons he can run well.
Medina Spirit’s trainer Bob Baffert does well in the Preakness; he has won it seven times. None of his Kentucky Derby winners have finished worse than second in the Preakness Stakes, suggesting they stay in form through the Triple Crown. Medina Spirit is gutsy on the lead, and his forward style tends to play well at Pimlico.
#4 Crowded Trade is the better of the two Chad Brown entrants. Though he has yet to win in a stakes company, he has been consistent enough to get underneath shares in both the Gotham (G3) and the Wood (G2). His tactical versatility and his relatively inside post should play well in the Preakness, and trainer Chad Brown has been able to win the Preakness before with a lightly-raced and relatively unproven horse, Cloud Computing in 2017.
#5 Midnight Bourbon had trouble at the start of the Kentucky Derby but continued his streak of running to his company and trying hard every race. He settled and rallied for sixth in the Kentucky Derby, a strong effort given that speed held well and he was knocked off of his usual style. With a better break, he should be involved all the way around.
#10 Concert Tour is Medina Spirit’s stablemate in the Bob Baffert barn and will be allowed to run pending a pre-race drug test coming back clean. He should be part of the frontrunners, making his entry a little baffling given that his stablemate is a frontrunning sort, as well. And, he has to bounce back from a disappointing Arkansas Derby.
#6 Rombauer last ran third in the Blue Grass Stakes. He looked like a deep closer in his earlier races, so the fact that he ran such a good race from closer to the pace is a positive sign coming into the Preakness, where deep closers don’t usually have their day. When Michael McCarthy ships in for a big race he usually does well, so Rombauer has longshot appeal.
#8 Unbridled Honor comes in for trainer Todd Pletcher. He came in from well off the pace to run second in the Lexington, though in the maiden company he ran a little more tactically. A win may be a lot to ask, especially given how Pletcher has historically struggled in the Preakness, but he is an improving horse with a chance to invade exotics.
Preakness Best Bets
-
$5 win-place-show: Crowded Trade
-
$1 exacta box: Medina Spirit, Crowded Trade, Midnight Bourbon
-
$1 Trifecta box: Medina Spirit, Crowded Trade, Midnight Bourbon, Rombauer
-
20 Cent Superfecta box: Medina Spirit, Crowded Trade, Midnight Bourbon, Rombauer, Unbridled Honor
Betting the Preakness Online
Though only 10,000 fans will be allowed into Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes, you can enjoy the best betting experience from the comfort and safety of your own home by betting the Preakness from the right online racebook. Our racebook reviews take the stress out of finding the best place to play the Preakness.
Our reviews make it easy to choose a trusted racebook that offers the best bonuses and rebates for the kinds of bets you like to make, and the best odds for the horse you like in the Preakness!
Preakness Post Time and Wagering Menu
The 146th Preakness Stakes will be run Saturday, May 15 at 6:50 pm . The race is the 13th race of a 14-race card that includes a total of ten stakes races.
No matter what bets you like to make on the Preakness day card, you can make them! Every race offers to win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagering, and there are Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, Rainbow 6, and Super High Five opportunities throughout the day.
