Preakness 2012 Odds: I'll Have Another and More Sucker Bets

The Kentucky Derby put you in a mood to drop some dough on horses, didn't it? Suddenly, you're into tracking all these majestic creatures with silly names to see which ones will finish first at an event attended by the hard-partying sect of the American aristocracy.

Yeah, I get it. It happens every May, when the Triple Crown of horse racing comes to the fore.

Or maybe you're a die-hard fan of equine athletics, with an eye (or two) firmly affixed to this year's Preakness Stakes.

Whatever the case may be, don't be fooled into betting on any of these three colts, all of whom are expected to run at Pimlico on May 19th.

I'll Have Another

There's a lot to like about I'll Have Another—his strength, his stamina, his closing speed over the final furlongs of a lengthy run. His win at the Kentucky Derby was no fluke, though it did come as the result of some rather good fortune.

Not that any colt can necessarily win at Churchill Downs without a nudge from Lady Luck, though the one I'll Have Another received was particularly pronounced. He managed to find his way to the inside rail with relative ease, despite starting in post 19, on account of the field stringing itself out amidst the speedy pace set by Trinniberg.

But, according to Bettor.com, Trinniberg likely won't run at Pimlico if Bodemeister does. That would likely leave a more bunched-up field around which I'll Have Another would have to traverse, rendering the prospect of a push for the Triple Crown that much more perilous.

Optimizer

Optimizer had no such good fortune at the Kentucky Derby. The D. Wayne Lukas product finished a distant 11th in the Run for the Roses, completing race in just over two minutes.

He's a gifted colt, but hasn't come out on top since his first race back in August of 2011. Couple Optimizer's Derby result with a spot in ninth at the Arkansas Derby, and he looks more and more like a waste of betting money, even if his odds are tantalizingly long.

Cozzetti

Betting on a horse to win the Preakness without having first run in the Kentucky Derby is a dangerous proposition, especially when considering that it's happened all of three times since 1983.

That stat certainly doesn't help Cozzetti's odds in Baltimore. Neither does a fourth-place finish at the Arkansas Derby, in which Cozzetti was smoked by Bodemeister.

Bob Baffert's best horse ran superbly at Churchill Downs before losing some steam down the stretch and figures to be in the running again at Pimlico, assuming he winds up there. If he does, don't be surprised if Cozzetti spends the race eating his dust.

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