Preakness 2012 Odds: Horses to Watch for at Preakness

Contrary to popular belief, there are still going to be 12 horses running the Preakness other than I'll Have Another and Bodemeister. But that doesn't mean that the Kentucky Derby winner and runner-up aren't the horses most worthy of your attention.

The horses that stole the show in the Derby are likely to be the ones garnering most of the attention before the second leg of the Triple Crown on May 19, and according to the Baltimore Sun, five Derby competitors could be challenging I'll Have Another at Pimlico. It's exciting news, given the fact that 1992 marked the last time the top five Derby finishers all moved on to the Preakness.

Here's a look at the horses to keep an eye on as the race approaches. For a look at the current odds, you can check out AllHorseRacing.com here. 

Bodemeister

If there is one horse that truly stands a chance of spoiling I'll Have Another's Triple Crown hopes, it's Bodemeister, the horse that lost the Derby by a meager 1.5 lengths. Bodemeister was the favorite entering the Derby because of his blazing speed, which was on full display at Churchill Downs, where he set a record for the fastest five splits in Derby history.

But perhaps the 1.25-mile track was just a bit too much for him, because he gave up his lead in the final furlong. On the 1 3/16-mile track at the Preakness, he should fare better—which is bad news for I'll Have Another.

According to AllHorsesRacing.com, Bodemeister's early odds for the Preakness are 3-1, the same as I'll Have Another's. But according to the Sun's Chris Korman, trainer Bob Baffert hasn't yet confirmed that his prize colt will race at Pimlico. He plans to visit Bodemeister over the weekend and make his final decision by Monday.

Dullahan

Whether or not the horse will make a run at the Preakness is unclear, but as it stands, he has 6-1 odds of winning. Given trainer Dale Romans' track record at Pimlico, it might be a mistake to skip the race.

Romans trained last year's winner, Shackleford, but after a third-place finish at Churchill Downs, all signs are pointing to skipping the Preakness and heading straight for the Belmont.

Romans seemed to express a fair amount of frustration after Dullahan's third-place finish in the Derby. For three straight years, he's had a horse finish in the top four but hasn't been able to get that elusive victory.

He told the Courier-Journal's Jason Frakes, "We're getting close, but you just don't know how many times you're going to get. It's tough enough to get in it." Still, a win somewhere is better than a win nowhere.

Creative Cause

Mike Harrington's horse was an excellent sleeper pick for the Derby. He entered the race with three graded stakes wins, and in eight career starts, he had never finished worse than third.

That streak ended when he finished fifth at Churchill Downs, but he has an opportunity to make up for it at Pimlico. He is set to arrive on Monday and currently has 8-1 odds.

Creative Cause started a little bit of an uproar when he appeared to be MIA in the days prior to the race, while the others were training, but Harrington simply chose to sequester his horse to keep him calm for the race. There were no injury concerns, despite rumblings to the contrary, so he'll be good to go for Pimlico. Maybe this time, he can beat Bodemeister, like he did in the San Felipe Stakes.