Preakness 2015 Contenders: Examining Favorites and Underrated Horses

For the second straight year, a horse arrives to the Preakness Stakes with legitimate Triple Crown hopes. California Chrome kept the dream alive with a Pimlico triumph 12 months ago. Now American Pharoah will try to duplicate that effort.

On paper, the task seems relatively easy. Pharoah faces a smaller field with the same main competition over a slightly shorter distance. That said, it's always difficult to know how a horse will respond on short rest. Drawing the No. 1 gate added an extra hurdle, too.

So let's check out all of the important viewing details for the second leg of the Triple Crown. That's followed by a closer examination of some horses to watch in Saturday's race.

Race Information

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland

When: Saturday, May 16, at 6:18 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

2015 Preakness Field

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	10-13
2	Dortmund	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	15-4
3	Mr. Z	D. Wayne Lukas	Corey Nakatani	25-1
4	Danzig Moon	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux	14-1
5	Tale of Verve	Dallas Stewart	Joel Rosario	50-1
6	Bodhisattva	Jose Corrales	Trevor McCarthy	50-1
7	Divining Rod	Arnaud Delacour	Javier Castellano	20-1
8	Firing Line	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens	17-4

Race Contenders

Favorite: American Pharoah

Pharoah had no trouble living up to the hype in the Kentucky Derby. He was challenged down the stretch by Firing Line and Dortmund, both of whom return for the Preakness, but still managed to pull away over the final furlongs for the win.

Having to break from the extreme inside takes away from his margin for error, though. He must get a clean break to avoid getting caught behind the pack, making for a far more difficult trip. Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated thinks it makes for a more compelling story:

The situation definitely puts more pressure on jockey Victor Espinoza. Ideally, he'll be able to get some clean strides out of the gate and get the Derby winner near the front on the rail. If not, it's going to take a perfect ride to overcome a mediocre start.

Pharoah is the best horse in the race, but that doesn't make him a lock to win. Between the post position, possible fatigue from the quick turnaround and a great race from one of his counterparts, there are certainly pitfalls out there. But he's clearly the one to beat.

Biggest Threat: Dortmund

Dortmund won the first six races of his career before coming up short in the Derby. His impressive resume included Grade 1 victories in the Los Alamitos Futurity and the Santa Anita Derby. He just didn't have the late surge needed to win at Churchill Downs two weeks ago.

Since he's trained by Bob Baffert, just like American Pharoah, it wasn't immediately clear whether he would be back for the second leg. He could have been held out to help improve the favorite's chances. Ray Paulick of the Paulick Report noted Baffert wasn't interested in that, though:

He was in contention for most of the Derby. The fact this race is half a furlong shorter should help his cause. Getting to break from next to Pharoah should also help jockey Martin Garcia keep tabs on his every move and react accordingly.

Dortmund is also a physically imposing presence on the track. His stature should help him handle the return from a two-week break easier than some of his returning foes. That could be the difference during the mad dash for the finish line.

Underrated: Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva stands out from the long-shot contingent. He's coming off a victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes, which also took place at Pimlico. His winning time was actually better than what Pharoah posted to win the Rebel Stakes at the same distance.

The favorite had previously posted a better time at the 1 1/16-mile FrontRunner Stakes, but it does show what could happen if he has an off day. That's why getting off to a strong start is so important for Pharoah and Espinoza.

Bodhisattva isn't going to win this race if any of the top three horses run at their best. But if there's a lightning pace early and the best horses fade late, he could pull the upset. DRF Formulator pointed out he'd be ending a drought in the process:

"

Bodhisattva tries to win the Preakness off a win in the Tesio. Last horse to do be successful with that move was Deputed Testamony in 1983.

— DRF Formulator (@DRFFormulator) May 11, 2015"

He could be a nice value addition to exotic wagers, especially trifectas or superfectas. Things would need to fall exactly right in order for him to end up in the winner's circle, but it's impossible to count him out given his prior success at the track.