This is the place for information about Preakness Stakes betting online. Here you can find Preakness Stakes Vegas odds and wagering sites, so you can be ready to win big on the second jewel of the American Triple Crown. The Preakness Stakes is one of the major horse races of the annual calendar in the United States. It is run over 1 3/16 miles for three-year-olds with a purse of $1 million. The 2023 Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday, May 18.
The 2022 Preakness Stakes (G1) was won by Early Voting in an exciting race! The 2024 edition is shaping up to be even more exciting, so keep reading to find out the best tips for betting on Preakness Stakes horses!
The Vegas odds for the Preakness Stakes 2024 are still to be announced. In the weeks leading up to the race, as horses are announced probable, sportsbooks begin offering Vegas odds on the Preakness. The best Vegas odds on the Preakness are subject to change, as such we’ll ensure to keep this page updated accordingly. This page was last updated on September 8, 2023:
| Preakness Stakes odds 2024 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mage | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| First Mission | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| National Treasure | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Blazing Sevens | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Red Route One | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Perform | TBA | TBA | TBA |
If you are interested in Preakness Stakes betting, knowing the lineup is a good place to start. Typically, the Kentucky Derby is held every year on the first Saturday in May. So, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course is contested mid-month. The 2024 Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday, May 18, two weeks after the Run for the Roses.
The field for the second jewel of the Triple Crown is usually much smaller than the 20 three-year-old thoroughbreds who partake in the Run for the Roses. In fact, a maximum of 14 horses can run in the Preakness. Those seeking racing glory will leave Churchill Downs and head about 600 miles east to Pimlico for what’s also called the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.
First held in 1873, the Preakness was named by a former Maryland governor after the colt who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the first day Pimlico opened in 1870. Attendance for this major racing event ranks second in North America, only surpassed by the Derby. It is usually even more than the Belmont Stakes or Breeders’ Cup. The party in the infield is often a raucous and entertaining event, and live bands play at InfieldFest.
Secretariat holds the Preakness track record of 1:53, which he set in 1973. And, like the Derby, all of the horses will carry 126 pounds in the $1 million event — the shortest of the three Triple Crown races at 1 3/16 miles, about 100 yards less than the Kentucky Derby.
The winner of the Kentucky Derby is always given a special stall in the “Stakes Barn” at Pimlico, which is where all the Preakness starters are housed unless they are local Maryland-based runners. The Derby winner stands in the very first stall with a plaque of names of the other Derby winners who have stood there above the stall. It is considered an honor to be housed in that stall.
The Preakness Stakes does not draw as much betting handle as the Derby, but is still one of the biggest betting pools of the year and is an excellent betting opportunity. The number of starters is restricted to 14 horses, although fewer than that often enter the starting gate. The program for the Preakness Stakes will list the horses from No. 1 on out based on the post position draw earlier in the week, taking place the Wednesday before the race.
The post-position draw and Preakness Stakes morning line odds are set at the same time, and the horses’ connections gather around to hear the announcement of who is in the race and where they will break from the gate.
An important Preakness Stakes betting tip is that when looking at the program or past performances for the Preakness, beside each horse’s name are the pedigree, owner, breeder, trainer, and jockey. The information also includes past race charts, win/loss records, and career earnings. There is also information on if the horse has run over the track or distance before.
Some important angles to look for when trying to pick the winner include top jockey, top trainer, recent performances, post position, and track condition. The runner’s history at Pimlico and in Grade 1 company should also be a consideration.
If all else fails, you can always go with your lucky number or the name that appeals to you the most.
Preakness Stakes online betting is an important part of your annual wagering plans. Betting on the Preakness today does not require you to be at Pimlico Racetrack: it can be done online with these top online sportsbooks. They make betting the Preakness easier than ever, and offer bonuses and incentives you will never find at the track.
There are many off-track venues throughout the U.S. where you can get the best Vegas odds on the Preakness Stakes. You can play the Preakness at Las Vegas sportsbooks like the Bellagio, or from the comfort of your own home at these trusted Vegas betting sites.
There are several available bets on the Preakness wagering menu. The win, place, and show bets are common bets to place on any horse race. A win bet is exactly that — pick the winner of the race. To cash a place ticket, your horse must finish first or second. To cash a show ticket, your horse must finish first, second, or third. Published payoffs on winning tickets are based on a $2 bet.
Often the Kentucky Derby is a heavy favorite in the Preakness. In 2014, Kentucky Derby champion California Chrome went off at 1-2 in the Preakness. That means a $1 profit was made on every $2 bet on the overwhelming favorite that day. For example, on a $200 bet on California Chrome, the winning ticket returned $300 ($200 originally bet, plus $100 profit). If you think the Kentucky Derby winner can lose, you will get great odds on whoever you pick.
As for Preakness exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets, these betting options are called “exotics.” A bettor is attempting to pick the exact order of finish of multiple horses. In an exacta, you must pick the exact order of finish of the first two horses. In a trifecta, it’s the exact order of finish of the first three horses. With a superfecta, it’s the exact order of finish of the first four horses.
Exotics can pay well in the Preakness even if the favorite finishes in the money but does not win. Even though 3-2 favorite Authentic finished second in the Preakness, the 4-9-6-3 superfecta with Swiss Skydiver, Authentic, Jesus’ Team, and Art Collector returned $5,053 for only a $1 wager.
There are also multi-race wagers, such as Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6 betting. A daily double is a bet where you have to pick the winner of two separate races. The Preakness is often coupled with the race before or after it. A Pick 3 is a bet where you have the pick the winner of three consecutive races. The more races you have to pick the tougher it gets, but the more it pays if you win!
When getting ready to place your wagers, knowing the historical trends can give you a good foundation on how to bet the Preakness Stakes.
Only three favorites have won the Preakness in the last 10 years, which is below the historical average of 50.3%. The public’s choice has won the Preakness far more often than the Derby (35.7%) and the Belmont (42.1%). The betting favorite has won 14 of the last 36 editions of the race. The second betting choice has won the race nine times.
Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has won the second jewel of the Triple Crown a record-tying seven times. R. Wyndham Walden is the other trainer holding that record, from 1875 through 1888, including five editions of the Preakness in a row.
Two active jockeys have won the Preakness three times — Kent Desormeaux and Victor Espinoza. Recently, jockeys have been getting their very first Preakness wins, such as Jose Ortiz in 2022 on Early Voting, Tyler Gaffalione in 2019 on War of Will, and Javier Castellano in 2017 with Cloud Computing. In 2018, Mike Smith rode Justify to win the Preakness; that was his first Preakness win as a jockey since 1993.
Knowing the Preakness jockeys and trainers can help you make a good wager. Track condition often plays a role at the Preakness as well, with the track often turning up muddy and wet due to weather. That can help horses like Exaggerator, who splashed home in the slop in 2016. Some horses don’t like the slipping of a muddy track, so keep an eye on the weather and their performances over previous wet tracks in their lives.
Though the field for the Preakness will not come together until after the Kentucky Derby is over, it is not too early to start thinking about the horses entered in the 2023 Preakness Stakes. This will give you a head start when deciding n the best bets for Preakness Stakes day in mid-May.
Two kinds of horses typically contest the Preakness: horses who ran well in the Kentucky Derby, as well as horses who bypassed the Derby and targeted the Preakness Stakes in particular. Both of these kinds of horses can be quality win candidates.
The winner of the Kentucky Derby is typically the Preakness Stakes favorite. In 2023, the Kentucky Derby favorite is Forte, who was the champion two-year-old of 2022 and has gone on to run well as a three-year-old horse as well. He won the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby, and is the heavy favorite in Kentucky Derby Las Vegas odds.
If Forte wins the Kentucky Derby, expect his trainer Todd Pletcher to run him in the Preakness Stakes. If Forte loses the Kentucky Derby, Pletcher will probably find another spot for him, whether it is the Belmont or some goal in the summer.
Other horses who are well-fancied in the Kentucky Derby include Tapit Trice, Kingsbarns, Practical Move, and Derma Sotogake. If any of these horses go on to win the Kentucky Derby, expect them to go on to be the Preakness favorite. Kingsbarns, Practical Move, and Derma Sotogake all have good early speed, which would help them be better-suited for the track configuration at Pimlico.
In addition to Kentucky Derby runners, some horses point straight to the Preakness. Sometimes it is because they did not earn enough points to make it into the Kentucky Derby field, whereas other times it is because they were deliberately pointed to the Preakness.
Horses under the Derby points line who may contest the Preakness include Mandarin Hero, who missed by only a nose to Practical Move in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), as well as First Mission, who only earned his first Derby points in mid-April when he won the 20-point Lexington (G3) at Keeneland.
There are also a few races through the winter and spring that award their winners a free berth in the Preakness, and often those horses will go on to race in Baltimore. 2021 Preakness winner Rombauer took this route: he won the El Camino Real at Golden Gate, tuned up in the Blue Grass (G1), and was ready to win the Preakness impressively.
Horses who have won races with automatic Preakness bids in 2023 include Chase the Chaos, the winner of the El Camino Real; Perform, the winner of the Federico Tesio at Laurel; and Red Route One, who won the Bath House Road at Oaklawn. Red Route One was a familiar name on the Derby trail, though whether he actually contests the Preakness is contingent on whether his stablemate Disarm does well in the Derby. (If Disarm does well in Kentucky, Red Route One likely reroutes away from the Preakness.)
The Preakness Stakes meeting is usually run over three days, with stakes races increasing in stature and purse through the Saturday races. Throughout the week of the Preakness, the best horses in every division make their way to Pimlico. There are exciting finishes and excellent betting opportunities.
Major races other than the Preakness include the $250,000 Black Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), the $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G2), the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3), the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes, the $150,000 Gallorette Stakes (G3), the $100,000 James Murphy Stakes, the $150,000 Laurel Futurity, the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3), the $150,000 Selima Stakes, and the $100,000 Skipat Stakes.
This is going to be one of the biggest and most important betting weeks of the year at any track in the world, so make sure you are ready to place your bets.
What would a Preakness Stakes betting guide be without connecting you to the top racebooks for this event? Check out our list of recommended racebooks here:
The Preakness Stakes is typically run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. In 2023, the Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
The Preakness Stakes is run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
NBC will broadcast the Preakness Stakes live. The post tine for the Preakness is typically around 5:45pm Eastern Daylight Time. NBC will also stream the Preakness on Peacock, its affiliated streaming platform, making it easy to watch the Preakness anywhere with an internet connection.
Early Voting upset the Preakness Stakes in 2022, handing heavy favorite Epicenter another disappointing defeat.
The Preakness Stakes is limited to fourteen horses. It always draws a mixture of horses coming in from the Kentucky Derby and newer faces who prepared elsewhere.
The Preakness typically draws between 130,000 and 140,000 people per year.
The purse for the Preakness Stakes is $1.5 million guaranteed.
The Preakness Stakes is traditionally the second jewel of the Triple Crown, run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. There is one Triple Crown race after the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes.
The Preakness Stakes covers a mile and three sixteenths, or nine and a half furlongs.
Odds are still coming together for the Preakness Stakes. However, the Kentucky Derby winner is typically the Preakness Stakes favorite, unless an impressive horse comes in from another race (as happened with Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra in 2009) or the Derby winner does not contest the Preakness (as with Rich Strike in 2022, who went straight to the Belmont)
The power of the internet brings makes Preakness Stakes online betting possible, and our recommended sites give you real Vegas odds from anywhere. You can use any internet-connected device such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone to access these online sportsbooks and bet the Preakness Stakes from the comfort of home.
Yes! You can visit the sportsbook website and bet the Preakness Stakes from any mobile device. Or, many sportsbooks also offer mobile apps. That way, you can have the best betting experience and the best Vegas odds in just a few taps.
Our Las Vegas betting experts have reviewed the best online sportsbooks, all of which offer betting on the Preakness Stakes. Read their expert reviews of the top Vegas betting sites and learn which sites have the best Vegas odds, bonuses, features, and user interfaces.
Many online sportsbooks offer excellent promotions for betting all Triple Crown races, including the Preakness, including deposit bonuses and rebates. Most racebooks offer a horse racing rebate between 7-15% of daily bet volume, paid out every single day on both winning and losing wagers.
Most sportsbooks do not yet offer live streaming of the Preakness Stakes, though it has been requested from most sportsbooks. However, it is worth checking sportsbooks closer to Preakness day to check whether they have set up a streaming arrangement.
If the best sportsbook for you does not yet offer live streaming, you can stream the Preakness on Peacock, so you can watch while you bet on the race online.
Online sportsbooks offer Vegas odds on a full range of Kentucky Derby wagers. Bettors should learn about the horses and the bets, and choose wagers that they can bet confidently. Bettors should also take the time to choose the wagers and odds that provide right balance of payout and risk.
The following kinds of bets are popular on the Preakness Stakes
1 – Win bet
2 – Place bet
3 – Show bet
4 – Exacta
5 – Quinella
6 – Trifecta
7 – Superfecta
8 – Pick 3
9 – Pick 4
10 – Pick 5
11 – Pick 6
