Preakness 2013: Predicting Finishing Order for Saturday's Race
The Preakness Stakes is always one of the most exciting sporting events of the year.
The 2013 edition of the storied second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown from Pimlico Race Course has fans all over the world trying to predict Saturday’s finishing order.
With so much money on the line—both for the racers and for those betting on the event—how the field will shake out is the focus of everyone during the pre-race hype.
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Fans looking to place a wager on the Preakness Stakes are seeking the odds that they like and the horses that will be finishing in the top three. Below is the official starting order, my predicted finishing order and my top-three finishers.
Enjoy.
Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore
When: Saturday, May 18
Post Time: 6:20 p.m. ET
Purse: $1 million
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports
Official 2013 Preakness Stakes Layout
| 1 | Orb | Joel Rosario | Claude McGaughey | 1-1 |
| 2 | Goldencents | Kevin Krigger | Doug O'Neill | 8-1 |
| 3 | Titletown Five | Julien Leparoux | D. Wayne Lukas | 30-1 |
| 4 | Departing | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Albert M. Stall Jr. | 6-1 |
| 5 | Mylute | Rosie Napravnik | Tom Amoss | 5-1 |
| 6 | Oxbow | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | 15-1 |
| 7 | Will Take Charge | Mike Smith | D. Wayne Lukas | 12-1 |
| 8 | Govenor Charlie | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 12-1 |
| 9 | Itsmyluckyday | John Velazquez | Eddie Plesa Jr. | 10-1 |
* Current odds can be found at DRF.com.
Predicted Finish
| 1 | Orb | Joel Rosario | Claude McGaughey | 1-1 |
| 2 | Oxbow | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | 15-1 |
| 3 | Mylute | Rosie Napravnik | Tom Amoss | 5-1 |
| 4 | Goldencents | Kevin Krigger | Doug O'Neill | 8-1 |
| 5 | Govenor Charlie | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 12-1 |
| 6 | Titletown Five | Julien Leparoux | D. Wayne Lukas | 30-1 |
| 7 | Will Take Charge | Mike Smith | D. Wayne Lukas | 12-1 |
| 8 | Departing | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Albert M. Stall Jr. | 6-1 |
| 9 | Itsmyluckyday | John Velazquez | Eddie Plesa Jr. | 10-1 |
Win: Orb
As the winner of five straight races including the Kentucky Derby, there is no question that Orb deserves to be the favorite heading into Saturday’s race.
Despite the fact that a horse coming out of the No. 1 post has only won once since 1961 (h/t DRF’s David Grening), this colt is too strong to be held back.
Led by standout jockey Joel Rosario and veteran trainer Claude R. McGaughey III, Orb has the acceleration out of the gates and the top-end speed in the straightaway to gain an early lead and hold onto it throughout the race.
Place: Oxbow
While the popular bet to finish second has been Goldencents, Departing or Mylute, do not discount the pedigree of Oxbow and just how much talent he has supporting him on race day.
Not only is Oxbow trained by former Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner D. Wayne Lukas, he will also be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who will be looking to better his sixth-place finish at the Derby.
There have been questions about how well Oxbow runs over long distances, but with the course at Pimlico being slightly shorter, there is little doubt that the strong horse will run into the top three on Saturday.
Show: Mylute
Another fan favorite expected to do well is Mylute. While I don’t have this horse climbing into the top two, the colt has the chance to race to a third-place finish with a talented jockey like Rosie Napravnik on his back.
Napravnik gets notoriety for being a female jockey in a male-dominated sport, but she is much more than just an attraction. Napravnik is one of the best jockeys in horse racing.
Along with the talent of Mylute (good reaction time out of the gates and the kind of speed to move through traffic), Napravnik will run the stallion to the front of the pack and to a respectable third-place finish.
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