Preakness 2012: Bodemeister and Horses Who Will Take Advantage of Small Field

Unlike the Kentucky Derby, which had a full field of 20 horses, the Preakness Stakes is expected to have a few open posts on race day. The maximum field is 14, but due to injuries, fatigue, etc., it is believed that only 11 or 12 horses will run for the Black-Eyed Susans on Saturday. 

According to the Daily Racing Form, five Derby horses are expected to run at Pimlico—I'll Have Another, Bodemeister, Went The Day Well, Creative Cause and Daddy Nose Best. 

With a less-than-maximum field, there are going to be a few thoroughbreds who will look to take advantage of the extra space on the track and walk away with the Woodlawn Vase. 

Here are the horses sure to take advantage of this small Preakness Field. 

Bodemeister

Bodemeister, who entered the Kentucky Derby as the odds-on favorite and will likely wind up in the same position on Saturday, has all the right skills needed to win at Pimlico. 

He was on his way to victory at Churchill Downs before running out of gas at the end, but the Preakness track runs much faster and is half a furlong shorter than the Derby, so he can pop out of the gate as fast as possible and keep the momentum going for the entire race. 

As long as jockey Mike Smith learned from his mistakes two weeks ago, Bodemeister could end up running away with this race. 

Went The Day Well

Went The Day Well came out of nowhere to finish fourth at the Kentucky Derby. He has never been the fastest horse, but jockey John Velazquez knows how to control him over the course of a long race. 

Since Went The Day Well doesn't have to worry about a lot of competition in this race, he can hang around the middle of the pack early before making his move on the final turn.

The one thing that Went The Day Well can't do is fall behind by a wide margin right out of the gate. He doesn't have the power to make up a lot of space in a short amount of time. His best chance will be to lurk around the middle of the pack before making his charge. 

Optimizer

One of the dark-horse candidates to win this event, Optimizer has seen his stock surge in recent weeks. He was a 50-1 long shot at the Kentucky Derby and finished in 11th place. Now, according to Vegas Insider, he enters the Preakness Stakes with 12-1 odds. 

Optimizer needs to start strong and set the pace of the race early. He is a front-runner who needs to be in control of the situation, or else he is doomed to sit in the middle of the pack, like he did two weeks ago. 

This small field will work wonders for Optimizer. He doesn't have to worry about dealing with so much competition, and can instead focus on what he has to do in order to run at the front of the pack. 

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