Mountain State bettors have their choice of a live or online experience for Saturday’s 146th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD.
The 1 and 3/16 mile showcase, with a $1 million purse, has a post time of about 6:47 p.m. EST.
Some West Virginia horse racing bettors can head out to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, which has a full live card beginning at 7 p.m. Preakness wagers can be accepted there while gamblers await the Charles Town card.
Many bettors can gamble on several devices, including mobile apps, via TVG.
The 2021 Preakness endured some pre-race turbulence, with Kentucky Derby-winning Medina Spirit testing positive for steroids in a post-race test.
Kentucky officials are reviewing his race status and considering disqualifying him in favor of second-place Mandaloun.
Maryland officials reached an arrangement with trainer Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, to let him enter the Preakness conditionally.
The agreement allows Medina Spirit into the race pending a successful outcome of a special pre-race drug test. Results will be known Friday. If a banned substance is found, Baffert will be asked to scratch Medina Spirit.
The Tuesday draw proceeded with the assumption that he will run.
Here is the draw with post positions, jockeys and initial odds, which will become final at post time.
- Ram: 30-1, Ricardo Santana Jr.
- Keep Me in Mind: 15-1, David Cohen
- Medina Spirit: 9-5, John Velazquez
- Crowded Trade: 10-1, Javier Castellano
- Midnight Bourbon: 5-1, Irad Ortiz
- Rombauer: 12-1, Flavien Prat
- France Go De Ina: 20-1, Joel Rosario
- Unbridled Honor: 15-1, Luis Saez
- Risk Taking: 15-1, Jose Ortiz
- Concert Tour: 5-2, Mike Smith
Preakness betting in WV
Race factors:
Medina Spirit and Concert Tour are speed horses. They are both trained by Baffert, who would win an unprecedented eighth Preakness if either crosses the finish line first. The Hall of Fame trainer also saddled American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018), the last two Triple Crown champions.
Keepmeinmind and Midnight Bourbon need to break alertly and be near the front after their disastrous Kentucky Derby trips.
Midnight Bourbon finished sixth in the Derby, and Keepmeinmind rallied from 20th to finish seventh. The reduced size of the field makes both of these horses forwardly placed.
Rombauer ran exactly five weeks ago and finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes. The five-week time period between races fits some horses well.
Unbridled Honor would benefit from a speed duel, as he’s a late runner.
Concert Tour finished a disappointing third in the Arkansas Derby but still gets played because of the Baffert connection. He may be over-bet, leading to opportunity in other horses.
This is a field of good but not exceptional horses. Any slight angle can justify betting a mid- or long-priced horse.
The field has seven “new shooters,” horses who skipped the Kentucky Derby and are presumed fresh. They run against horses that competed two weeks ago.
Secretariat holds the race record of 1:53, set in 1973. Swiss Skydiver, the sixth filly to win the Preakness, nearly broke the mark last year. She outfinished favored Authentic to prevail in 1:53.28.
Betting angles:
Place win bets on any horse you like who is 2-1 or higher. Think of a $1 trifecta key if you envision your favorite horse being vulnerable enough to run second, surrounded by long shots.
In the 2020 Preakness, 11-1 Swiss Skydiver beat 3-2 favorite Authentic. Jesus’ Team, a 40-1 bomb, nipped Art Collector for third. The $1 trifecta paid more than $1,200, a sweet payout for a race that involved the 3-2 favorite hitting the board.
