Preakness 2014: Horses and Jockeys with Best Odds of Winning at Pimlico
Those looking to see the first Triple Crown since 1978 will be watching the 2014 Preakness Stakes to see if California Chrome can keep up his impressive ways.
The thoroughbred was the favorite heading into the Kentucky Derby and did not disappoint, pulling away down the stretch to win his fifth race in a row. With his talent and consistency, he has the ability to keep up these winning ways and take home the title at Preakness.
Of course, he will not be alone at Pimlico. There will be a number of other competitors capable of ruining any hope of a Triple Crown, including those who were at Churchill Downs and those moving to this level for the first time.
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Here is a look at the top contenders heading into Preakness with full post positions.
| 1 | Dynamic Impact | Miguel Mena | Mark E. Casse | 12-1 |
| 2 | General a Rod | Javier Castellano | Mike Maker | 15-1 |
| 3 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | 3-5 |
| 4 | Ring Weekend | Alan Garcia | H. Graham Motion | 20-1 |
| 5 | Bayern | Rosie Napravnik | Bob Baffert | 10-1 |
| 6 | Ria Antonia | Calvin Borel | Tom Amoss | 30-1 |
| 7 | Kid Cruz | Julian Pimentel | Linda Rice | 20-1 |
| 8 | Social Inclusion | Luis Contreras | Manny Azpurua | 5-1 |
| 9 | Pablo Del Monte | Jeffrey Sanchez | Wesley A. Ward | 20-1 |
| 10 | Ride On Curlin | Joel Rosario | William Gowan | 10-1 |
Top Contenders
California Chrome - Victor Espinoza (3-5)
As soon as California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby, there was discussion about whether he could win the Triple Crown. His owner was certainly confident he could get it done, via Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal:
Jeff Frank of TSN certainly does not think the Preakness is something that would mess him up:
Jockey Victor Espinoza led his horse to an almost perfect race last time out. He got out to a good start but did not push it early, instead allowing the slow pace to simply stay out in front and conserve energy. By the final turn, he had no problem pulling away from the rest of the field to win the roses.
At the Preakness, things will be even easier as California Chrome will have fewer horses to compete against. Espinoza can get him into good position and simply allow the speed to take over down the stretch.
The biggest problem will be if the pace is too fast early on and California Chrome has to work too hard to keep up. Still, the talented thoroughbred is capable of winning regardless of the circumstance.
Social Inclusion - Luis Contreras (5-1)
Although he missed the Kentucky Derby, Social Inclusion is certainly capable of making a run at the Preakness Stakes.
He lacks experience but has great speed to push the pace early on. His trainer Manny Azpurua is certainly excited about the upcoming event:
Meanwhile, the draw is something that will help him out, as noted by Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form:
Social Inclusion finished in third place at the Grade 1 Wood Memorial against some top competition after winning his first two races. Unfortunately, that is all we have to go off of when evaluating the contender.
Luis Contreras will try to get the most out of him on race day to push his way toward the winner's circle.
Ride On Curlin - Joel Rosario (10-1)
Ride On Curlin is one of the few horses from the Kentucky Derby competing in the Preakness. He finished in seventh place while he struggled to find a path to the front.
Jockey Calvin Borel explained after the race, "It was a little bit of a rough trip. They backed up into me around the turn and we had nowhere to go. He ran a good race, though," via Darren Rogers of KentuckyDerby.com.
Joel Rosario will take control of Ride On Curlin this time around, and he should have an easier time with the traffic. There will only be 10 competitors in the field, and he will start on the outside post, giving him the freedom to get into position from the start.
Although it will be a long ride to the rail, this could end up being a good position for him. Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form also noted the horse looked good recently:
If things go well, Ride On Curlin could be a top contender for first place.
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