Preakness Stakes 2012: Multiple Signs Point to Zetterholm Being a Strong Bet

Looking for a horse not named Bodemeister or I’ll Have Anoher to win the Preakness Stakes?

Try Zetterholm, a horse that will be looking for his fourth straight win on Saturday.

The New York-bred colt was last seen erasing a five-horse deficit to sprint past the field at the Aqueduct on April 6. It was just the latest example of how fast the horse can be. The sheer speed is just one of the many reasons you have to strongly consider Zetterholm as one of the underdogs that can take home the victory.

He’ll be trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., the middle son of the infamous Richard Dutrow, who has been in the business since he was 16. Junior was Big Brown’s trainer when it took home the Kentucky Derby title back in 2004.

That’s good news, and so is the track record of the jockey that will be racing him: Junior Alvarado. While he has never raced the Preakness before, he ranks in the top 10 among jockeys nationally, raking in a cool $4 million worth of earnings.

Combine an experienced trainer with a jockey that is amongst the best in the sport and you have a stellar combination to work with.

Sure, Bodemeister’s sheer athletic ability is something that has experts foaming at the mouth, but how confident can you be in a horse that had such a horrific start to the Kentucky Derby? Who’s to say that won’t happen once again?

I’ll Have Another was the big beneficiary of this stumble by Bodemeister, and is going to need a small miracle to win back-to-back Triple Crown races. He simple doesn’t have the talent.

Zetterholm is going to be a heavy underdog, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have multiple factors that point to a standout performance at the Preakness.

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