Preakness 2014 Post Positions: Draw Start Time, Horse Lineup and More

The second leg of the vaunted Triple Crown occurs Saturday at the 2014 Preakness, but before Kentucky Derby Winner California Chrome can chase history, all 14 participants have to be drawn into post positions.

This process is similar to the preparation for the Derby in many regards, with utmost importance placed on the post positions themselves.

With a mixture of familiar faces from the Derby and newcomers, the Preakness has the look of a race once again set to live up to the wild hype. Not all entrants are known at this juncture, but some heavyweights have already made themselves known.

Here's a look at the draw schedule and those in play.

What: 2014 Preakness Post Positions Draw

When: Wednesday, May 14 2014 at 6 pm ET

Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

Horse	Jockey	Status
California Chrome	Victor Espinoza	Confirmed
Pablo Del Monte	Jeffrey Sanchez	Confirmed
Kid Cruz	Julian Pimentel	Confirmed
Social Inclusion	Luis Contreras	Confirmed
Ride On Curlin	Joel Rosario	Confirmed
Dynamic Impact	Miguel Mena	Confirmed
Bayern	Rosie Napravnik	Pending
Ring Weekend	Alan Garcia	Confirmed
Ria Antonia	TBD	Pending
General a Rod	Javier Castellano	Confirmed
TBD	TBD	TBD
TBD	TBD	TBD
TBD	TBD	TBD
TBD	TBD	TBD

Note: Horse lineup courtesy of Preakness.com as of 6 p.m. ET on May 11. All info courtesy of Preakness.com unless otherwise specified.

Prediction

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

As fun as it would be to see an underdog storm to the win on Saturday, the day will surely belong to California Chrome.

Make that five races in a row for California Chrome, a horse that had won four races prior to the Derby by more than 24 lengths combined. Had he not pulled up near the end with victory already assured, the Derby would have also been a major blowout.

Questions have been raised about Chrome's time, but as Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated points out, there may be multiple explanations for the finish:

If the issue is that the rest of the field is slower than normal this year, things might get ugly in Baltimore.

Unless Rosie Napravnik has something to say about it.

Napravnik is set to form a deadly combination at the Preakness with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who confirmed she would be atop Bayern on Saturday, per David Grening of Daily Racing Form:

Baffert himself is out for a win by any means necessary after one of the Derby's biggest favorites, Hoppertunity, had to bow out of the proceedings before the race.

Bayern's jockey is simply looking to have a good run in a familiar environment, as captured by Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal:

"

It's a Triple Crown race. It's my home track with all my friends and family around. We'd have half the grandstand cheering for us — that's what would make it special. I would feel like — if I was able to ride the winner of the Preakness — that I was doing it for everybody who got me started in Maryland.

"

Suffice it to say that there is a lot on the line for both on Saturday. Bayern has an elite explosion off the line, and the horse has a major chance to win considering the track in Baltimore is shorter than the one at the Kentucky Derby.

Bayern is a favorite for good reason, but it's important to note that even Napravnik won't be able to get enough out of him to compete with California Chrome. It's easy to ride with the favorite, but until he proves otherwise, California Chrome is the surefire winner on Saturday. Bayern is a close second.