2012 Preakness Post Positions: Longshot Zetterholm Draws Prime Post Position

Need a longshot to consider? Try Zetterholm.

The 20/1 colt drew the No. 4 post position, which is a terrific sign if you like to look at recent history of horses that have started at the same spot.  There have been two horses that have taken home the win at the No. 4 spot in the last 12 years. Red Bullet did it in 2000 and Curlin did it again in 2007.

Only the No. 7 pole position has registered as many wins over that time span.

Not only is he in a favorable post position, but he has won three straight races with the most recent being at the Patsyprospect Stakes in early April. This horse is hot, and it’s a bit of a head-scratcher trying to figure out why he has such long odds.

Highly respected expert Jerry Brown has singled out Zetterholm as a horse to watch on Saturday (via New York Post):

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Zetterholm’s dam [Holy Wish] has thrown five consecutive really good horses and they all got better with age. Zetterholm is improving rapidly. At this point, he’s probably a few lengths off these other horses but it would only take one more forward move to put him right there.

The fact that Dutrow took him out of a much softer spot last week to run in the Preakness makes me think he thinks this horse is going to run the race of his life.

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His jockey is Junior Alvarado, who will be making his Preakness debut. He ranks in the top 10 in jockey earnings this year with more than $4 million.

Add it all up and there are plenty of reasons to love this 20/1 horse. As long as Zetterholm is able to get off to a decent start, his blazing fast speed may end up landing you quite the pay day. 

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