Preakness 2012: TV Schedule, Post Positions, Contenders and More

Eleven horses will break from the gate at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday with hopes of winning the second leg of the Triple Crown. The Preakness Stakes holds an even higher level of importance for Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another as the colt chases history.

A strong field will ensure his run for the Black-Eyed Susans will be another tough test. As fans will remember, I'll Have Another needed a big comeback during the stretch run to overtake Bodemeister, the favorite for the Preakness.

After some rain concerns before the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, the forecast is terrific for Saturday's race, which should make for an electric atmosphere in Baltimore. After all, the spectacle holds just as much importance as the race itself.

Here's a look at all the key information for this year's Preakness.

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

When: Saturday, May 19

Watch: NBC

Post Time: 6:18 p.m. ET

Post Positions

Post	Horse	Jockey	Opening Odds
1	Tiger Walk	Kent Desormeaux	30-1
2	Teeth of the Dog	Joe Bravo	15-1
3	Pretension	Javier Santiago	30-1
4	Zetterholm	Junior Alvarado	20-1
5	Went the Day Well	John R. Velazquez	6-1
6	Creative Cause	Joel Rosario	6-1
7	Bodemeister	Mike Smith	8-5
8	Daddy Nose Best	Julien Leparoux	12-1
9	I'll Have Another	Mario Gutierrez	5-2
10	Optimizer	Corey Nakatani	30-1
11	Cozzetti	Jose Lezcano	30-1

All information courtesy of the official Preakness Stakes website.

Contenders

Bodemeister

Bodemeister was clearly the best horse for the majority of the Kentucky Derby, but he didn't have a kick left for the stretch run, and it cost him. The shorter race on Saturday should benefit the colt as he makes his third start in five weeks.

The biggest key to success will be approaching the Preakness with a better plan of attack. Jockey Mike Smith has to make sure Bodemeister settles in to a spot where he's still close to the lead, but at the same time isn't setting an unreasonable pace.

He still hasn't finished worse than second in his five career starts, so there isn't a safer pick on the board. As long as fatigue doesn't become an issue again, he will definitely be in the mix as they come to the wire.

I'll Have Another

Even though I'll Have Another had good morning line odds leading up to the Kentucky Derby, he didn't get much respect from the public. So his victory was hailed as a surprising one, but in reality, he was a contender all along.

He'll look to build off of that success with another strong showing against many of the same horses he battled a couple of weeks ago. Give credit to Mario Gutierrez, who was a virtual unknown before the big win, for knowing how to set his horse up to succeed.

There hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, which shows exactly how difficult it has become to win all three marquee races. I'll Have Another still faces an uphill battle to make it happen, but don't completely count him out.

Creative Cause

Creative Cause made a late charge of his own at the Kentucky Derby, but he started from too far back to catch the leaders, ultimately finishing in fifth. He was always caught up in traffic, so it's fair to call it an unlucky trip rather than a problem with the horse.

The good news for Creative Cause is that the Preakness field only features 11 horses, as opposed to 20. That gives him and jockey Joel Rosario a better chance to run a clean race. Starting from post No. 6 should also help.

Since he's already proven he has the late speed necessary to compete with the other top contenders, it's just about staying within striking distance before the stretch run. While some are calling the Preakness a two-horse race, Creative Cause can't be discounted.

Prediction

I'll Have Another keeps the dream alive with a narrow victory.