2014 Preakness Stakes Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Contenders and Sleepers

2014 Preakness Stakes Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Early Contenders: ‘The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” isn’t quite as well known as the Kentucky Derby, Saturday’s 139th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland is still sure to garner plenty of attention. After all, the second crown jewel race can either prolong the dream of a horse winning the Triple Crown, or it can bring a new horse to the forefront. The length of this weekend’s race is 9.5 furlongs and like the distance, the field is usually much smaller than that of the Kentucky Derby. This year’s field is no exception, and while Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome is among the entrants, there are also several newcomers this weekend that sat out the first leg of the Triple Crown. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the horses that could emerge victorious at Pimlico Saturday.

The Favorite

Fresh off a dominating victory in the Kentucky Derby, California Chrome has to be considered the favorite at Pimlico this weekend. Not only has he reeled off five-consecutive victories heading into the second leg of the Triple Crown, but most of his wins have come by comfortable margins. Meanwhile, the Preakness is actually a shorter race than the Kentucky Derby, making it an even more favorable race for a speedster like California Chrome. Since the field had nothing for California Chrome’s closing burst at Churchill Downs, it seems unlikely that will change at Pimlico.

Other Contenders

He was supposed to challenge California Chrome at Churchill Downs, but Hoppertunity was eventually scratched from the Kentucky Derby with a minor foot issue. Well, the horse is 100 percent healthy heading into the Preakness, and the last time Hoppertunity was on the track, he finished second to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby. While missing the Kentucky Derby cost him any chance of winning a Triple Crown, the extra rest could allow Hoppertunity to end California Chrome’s Triple Crown dreams, as well.

While the sample size isn’t large, Social Inclusion has two wins and a third-place finish in the Wood Memorial in three starts. Meanwhile, Social Inclusion’s team chose not to run him in the Kentucky Derby, opting instead to save him for the Preakness where his raw speed has a chance to shine through given the race’s shorter distance. Not to mention that with only three starts under his belt on top of skipping the Kentucky Derby, Social Inclusion is as fresh as any horse in this field.

He was one of the frontrunners heading into the Kentucky Derby, and Danza backed up the hype with a third-place run. Meanwhile, the horse has finished in the money in all five of his starts, grabbing a pair of wins, including a victory in the Arkansas Derby. With a win in a prestigious prep race and a third-place run at Churchill Downs, Danza has already proven he can handle himself against top competition. Expect him to be in the mix again this weekend at Pimlico.

Sleeper Special

Despite a lackluster 11th-place run in the Kentucky Derby, don’t count out General A Rod this weekend at Pimlico. After all, he finished in the top three in all five of his starts prior to the Kentucky Derby, finishing second at the Fountain of Youth and third in the Florida Derby. Maybe the distance and the atmosphere at Churchill Downs were too much for General A Rod, but the Preakness is a shorter race and the experience from the Kentucky Derby should only help him. Don’t rule out a big turnaround from General A Rod this weekend.

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