This is the place to find Preakness betting odds for 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 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) was delayed from May until October 3. It was won by Swiss Skydiver with an excellent run!
The odds for the Preakness Stakes 2021 aren’t yet available. The odds are subject to change, as such we’ll ensure to keep this page updated accordingly. This page was last updated on October 5, 2020:
Free expert picks for the 2020 Preakness Stakes can be found here.
The Triple Crown trail takes sports fans to Baltimore, Md., two weeks after the pandemonium of the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes line up is set 72 hours before the race, which in 2020 is on October 3 after the race was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically, the Kentucky Derby is held every year on the first Saturday in May. So, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course is contested about mid-month.
The field for the second jewel of the Triple Crown will be much smaller than the 20 three-year-old thoroughbreds who partake in the Run for the Roses. 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 a winning colt at Pimlico. Attendance for this major racing event ranks second in North America, only surpassed by the Derby. Attendance at the event is second highest in the country following the Kentucky Derby and is even more than the Belmont Stakes or Breeders’ Cup. The party in the infield is often a raucous and entertaining event with live bands.
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 the betting handle like the Derby since the field is much smaller. 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.
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 can be done online with these top online sportsbooks. Pimlico isn’t the only site for wagering. There are many off-track venues throughout the U.S., Las Vegas sportsbooks — like the Bellagio and Palazzo — or online gaming sites such as Bovada, BetUS, XBet, GTBets, or Betonline.
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. The payoffs on winning tickets are based on a $2 bet.
In 2014, another 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).
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.
In 2017, the $2 exacta of Cloud Computing and Classic Empire (2-5) returned $98.40. The $2 superfecta of 2-5-8-9 returned more than $16,300.
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.
Only three favorites have won the Preakness in the last 10 years, which is below the historical average. 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 35 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.
Three active jockeys have won the Preakness three times — Kent Desormeaux, Gary Stevens, and Victor Espinoza. Recently, jockeys have been getting their very first Preakness wins, such as 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.
The Preakness Stakes meeting is usually run over three days, with stakes races increasing in stature and purse through the Saturday races. In 2020, all the races will be run on a single day. There will be a staggering 11 stakes races on the card, 10 in addition to the Preakness itself, and they are as follows:
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 cards of the year at any track in the world.
