Field for 137th Preakness Stakes is Set

So does anyone have a tip on a good horse? That will likely be a phrase heard often around the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, this Saturday for the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes.

Like the other two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness has a long and storied history. The first race was run back on May 27, 1873. Survivor won easily (by 10 lengths) to take home the hefty purse of $2050. More than a century passed before another horse won by such a large margin (Smarty Jones by 11 ½ lengths in 2004).

Come Saturday at 6:05 PM ET horse race fans will be clutching their betting slips and hoping to see their favorite draped with the blanket of Black-Eyed Susans (state flower of Maryland) after just a few minutes. Some will be hoping to cash in on long odds while others will be looking to bank on a favorite.

As of Wednesday the favorite is the guy everyone expected to win the Kentucky Derby (Bodemeister), and nearly did before I'll Have Another pulled out the win on the final leg. The horses and odds (in the order of their post positions) are as follows:

Tiger Walk, 30:1; Teeth of the Dog, 15:1; Pretension, 30:1; Zetterholm, 20:1; Went the Day Well, 6:1; Creative Cause, 6:1; Bodemeister, 8:5; Daddy Nose Best, 12:1; I'll Have Another, 5:2; Optimizer, 30:1; Cozzetti, 30:1.

The last time some had a shot to win the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes) was in 2008 when Big Brown won the first two legs. Will I'll Have Another be the next and, well-- have another?

(Want to see last year's race?)

Article by Travis Pulver