Preakness 2014: Post Position and Odds for Entire Lineup After Draw
Now that the post positions have been announced, odds and chances for each horse in the 2014 Preakness Stakes are starting to take shape.
There was little doubt that Kentucky Derby winner and Triple Crown bid California Chrome would be the huge favorite heading into Pimlico Race Course, and that was validated with Wednesday's post positions and opening morning-line.
Per The Blood-Horse's Esther Marr:
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All of the talk and many of the bets will surround the favorite, but there is no shortage of contenders capable of spoiling the party.
Let's take a look at the full lineup after the draw, the odds for each of the 10 in the field and the top horses' chances.
| 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 |
Note: Post positions, odds and other information courtesy of Preakness.com unless otherwise noted.
Top Contenders
California Chrome: 3-5
California Chrome enters the Preakness with huge chances of becoming the 12th horse since Affirmed's 1978 Triple Crown to win the opening two legs of the coveted horse racing trio.
After drawing the No. 3 post, the door has opened up wide for jockey Victor Espinoza to get his talented horse to an inside position—where he needs to be to make his signature late push at the start of the stretch run.
Despite that, the Preakness will be uncharted territory for California Chrome. Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde said the horse has never gone less than 28 days between races, and trainer Art Sherman is understandably concerned about the two-week turnaround at the Preakness.
Per Forde:
""I would love to see at least three [weeks between the Derby and Preakness]," Sherman said. "It takes a horse about 11 days to completely recover out of a race. … It's pushing the envelope a little bit [to run again in 14]. … But here I am trying it, so I'm hoping the racing gods are looking down on me."
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Even with a short turnaround, California Chrome has shown up the stiff competition hurled his way in recent months. It would be a shocker if he somehow ended up anywhere other than the front of the pack.
General a Rod: 15-1
Among the few horses in the field hoping to bounce back from a poor Kentucky Derby showing lies General a Rod.
Six consecutive top-three finishes to start his racing career had the hopes high for this Mike Maker-trained horse, but it didn't come to fruition at Churchill Downs. Instead, he finished 11th.
The Derby result was a poor indication of General a Rod's ability. He got stuck in the pack, unable to find any separation. When it came time for the horses in the front to make their move, he was nowhere to be found.
Ideally, Pimlico sets up General a Rod for much more success. With only 10 horses in the field, there will be much more room to roam and avoid getting into the kind of sticky situations he found himself in at Churchill Downs.
Starting at the No. 2 spot is the kicker. General a Rod will open up closer to the rail than big favorite California Chrome, meaning a fast start could be enough to gain an advantage on the best horse in the field.
Social Inclusion: 5-1
California Chrome's resounding 3-5 opening line made it tough for most of the field to land solid odds, but Social Inclusion was one of the few to post a noticeable line.
He opened up with 5-1 odds after Wednesday's post positions announcement, joining California Chrome as the only horses with odds better than 10-1.
Zayat Stables' Justin Zayat said Social Inclusion is looking like a potential winner based on early indications at Pimlico:
Social Inclusion had a shot to make the Derby field, but opted not to go. That makes him even more fresh for the Preakness—an added advantage over the certainly tired California Chrome and others.
The No. 8 post position could allow Social Inclusion to get out in front early and find his way near the rail early on.
If jockey Luis Contreras doesn't suffer from any learning curve in his first ever Preakness mount, Social Inclusion figures to be in the hunt down the stretch.
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