Preakness 2014 Post Positions: Odds and Race Schedule for Pimlico
Wednesday set the field for the entrants in the 2014 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, as post positions were dished out.
The post position itself does not always seal the fate of those who occupy it, but like the Kentucky Derby before it on the Triple Crown schedule, it does much to assign favorites and underdogs as position meshes with skill set.
Odds are a fickle thing for any horse race, so it's best bettors understand how they work and the major storylines that will impact the proceedings. Here's a look at the order and odds.
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2014 Preakness Post Positions and Odds
| 1 | Dynamic Impact | Miguel Mena | 12-1 |
| 2 | General A Rod | Javier Castellano | 15-1 |
| 3 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | 3-5 |
| 4 | Ring Weekend | Alan Garcia | 20-1 |
| 5 | Bayern | Rosie Napravnik | 10-1 |
| 6 | Ria Antonia | Calvin Borel | 30-1 |
| 7 | Kid Cruz | Julian Pimentel | 20-1 |
| 8 | Social Inclusion | Luis Contreras | 5-1 |
| 9 | Pablo Del Monte | Jeffrey Sanchez | 20-1 |
| 10 | Ride on Curlin | Joel Rosario | 10-1 |
Odds via the Preakness Stakes.
139th Preakness Stakes
When: Saturday, May 17 (Post Time is 6:18 p.m. ET)
Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
TV: NBC (Broadcast begins at 4:30 p.m. ET)
Storylines to Watch
How Will Faster Field and Quick Turnaround Impact Derby Participants?
To be quite honest, the Preakness pales in comparison to the Kentucky Derby, as most owners and trainers choose to sit their horses for the middle leg of the Triple Crown.
This year, only three of the 14 horses from the Derby will be in attendance (California Chrome, Ride On Curlin and General a Rod). Trainer Billy Gowan explains that the decision to skip the event in Baltimore has to do with health first and foremost, according to Jennie Rees of USA Today:
"People want to wait four, five, six weeks before they run their horse back," Gowan said. "My philosophy is if the horse is showing you all the (right) signs, I say run 'em. You only get this chance one time. My horse is doing great. I don't see any reason to sit in the barn."
Another facet of the idea to skip has to do with the track itself, which is shorter and more unpredictable out of the gate, as trainer Art Sherman explained, via HRTV:
All things considered, this makes for a volatile betting situation. General a Rod has a great burst out of the gate but has garnered little hype after a sloppy performance in the Derby. Ride On Curlin is much of the same story, while California Chrome could just as easily get lost in the opening shuffle after five dominant performances.
California Chrome's Chance at History
Speaking of those dominant performances, California Chrome will be the focal point of the event on Saturday after a win at the Derby.
So of course Sherman's horse is in the proceedings after being arguably the most dominant contestant the sport has seen in a number of years and having the look of a legitimate Triple Crown champ, but he's not all that happy about the quick turnaround, as captured by Beth Harris of The Sacramento Bee:
"I know it's tradition, but it's grueling. You got three different tracks and you got to travel. It's pushing the envelope a little bit. It takes a horse 11 days to really recover out of a race.
Do you realize how many good horses come out of the Santa Anita Derby and go on to win the Kentucky Derby? You can't go by tracks, every surface is different. They don't pay any more to break track records.
"
Regardless, California Chrome and jockey Victor Espinoza are undoubtedly up to the task. The four races prior to the Derby were absolute blowouts, and the Derby itself essentially was; with California Chrome slowing down once, the result was basically in hand.
Even other trainers, such as Tom Amoss—who will oversee Ria Antonia and jockey Calvin Borel this weekend—agrees with the notion that California Chrome has this one in the books barring a wild turn of events, according to Jennie Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal:
A Triple Crown winner is highly unlikely, but it should be painfully obvious by now that California Chrome represents the greatest chance in the last decade or more.
Bettors know what to do, even if the payout isn't amazing.
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