2013 Preakness: Top Bets on the Board for Saturday's Triple Crown Race

The 2013 Preakness Stakes is nearly here, meaning it's time to identify some winners and get your bets in.

With only nine horses in the field, statistically it isn’t nearly as difficult to peg which horses will finish in first, second and third to round out your exacta box.

However, the odds of hitting this exotic bet is still astronomically low and the payout extraordinarily rich—which is exactly why they are so tempting.

Regardless, let's take a stab at it here and highlight three horses that have a good shot at finishing inside the top three.

*Odds via Preakness.com

 

Favorite: Orb (10-11)

The odds-on favorite here was saddled with dreaded No. 1 post, but that shouldn’t be any hindrance.

Due to the small size of the field and his capability to come from behind and make a late surge, the post drawing will not negatively impact Orb.

Another reason why this Shug McGaughey-trained colt will be adorned with the blanket of Black-Eyed Susans on Saturday is his speed.

He compiled a ridiculous Beyer Speed Figure of 104 in the slop at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, meaning he should torch the firmer track at Pimlico with great conditions expected.

Considering he only has to go 9.5 furlongs for victory (.5 less than the Kentucky Derby), Orb will be at the front of the pack when they reach the finish line at Preakness.

Prediction: Win

 

Challenger: Goldencents (8-1)

Despite his disappointing 17th-place finish beneath the Twin Spires, Goldencents is primed to surprise and may even challenge Orb for victory on Saturday.

After being trained by Doug O’Neill in mostly fair conditions and putting together his best performance by far at the sunny Santa Anita Derby (recording a Beyer Speed Figure of 105—better than Orb’s Derby sprint), he just couldn’t handle the slop at Churchill Downs.

With the No. 2 starting gate, Goldencents will have a chance to come out strong and try to pull off a wire-to-wire victory—as he did during most of his prep victories leading up to Triple Crown season.

If he’s unable to accomplish this or find a way to box in Orb, it’ll be extremely tough for Goldencents to keep the favorite at bay down the stretch.

It is likely he falls just short as Orb finds a way to break free and take the victory.

Prediction: Place

 

Long Shot: Govenor Charlie (10-1)

This horse didn’t show at the Derby, as trainer Bob Baffert instead decided to focus his efforts on winning this prestigious race at Pimlico.

He’s a bit of a mystery right now, as Govenor Charlie has only participated in three races during his career. It’s worth noting that he won two of them and finished second in the other, proving that this horse simply hits the board.

The competition will certainly be stiffer than he’s faced in the prep schedule, but this colt and jockey Martin Garcia won’t back down from the challenge and will not accept losing.

Just take a peek at his Sunland Derby romp—in which Govenor Charlie set a track record—in order to get an idea of just how special this horse can be.

Be leery of wagering on him to win, but this mysterious three-year-old is worth betting to round out any trifecta or exacta bet on the board.

Prediction: Show

 

2013 Preakness Stakes | Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD | Purse: $1 Million | Grade I | Distance: 9.5 furlongs | Post Time: 6:20 p.m. ET | Watch Live on NBC | Live Stream on NBC Sports

Post Positions and Odds

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	10-11
2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	8-1
3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	28-1
4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	13-2
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	6-1
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	16-1
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	12-1
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	10-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	12-1

*Info via Bovada.lv