Preakness 2014: Updated Weather Forecast, Odds and Payout Info
All eyes will be on Pimlico Race Course on Saturday as fans and organizers prepare for the 2014 Preakness Stakes and the second leg of the vaunted horse racing Triple Crown.
Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome enters the event as the horse with the most momentum, but with a field full of speedy contenders looking to make history of their own, winning the Preakness won’t be easy.
Here is all the vital viewing information for Saturday’s marquee race, post positions, odds, payout info and a full weather forecast for the event.
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Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland
When: Saturday, May 17
Post Time: 6:18 p.m. ET
TV: NBC (coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET)
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
| 1 | Dynamic Impact | Miguel Mena | 12-1 | $26.00 |
| 2 | General a Rod | Javier Castellano | 15-1 | $32.00 |
| 3 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | 3-5 | $3.20 |
| 4 | Ring Weekend | Alan Garcia | 20-1 | $42.00 |
| 5 | Bayern | Rosie Napravnik | 10-1 | $22.00 |
| 6 | Ria Antonia | Calvin Borel | 30-1 | $62.00 |
| 7 | Kid Cruz | Julian Pimentel | 20-1 | $42.00 |
| 8 | Social Inclusion | Luis Contreras | 5-1 | $12.00 |
| 9 | Pablo Del Monte | Jeffrey Sanchez | 20-1 | $42.00 |
| 10 | Ride On Curlin | Joel Rosario | 10-1 | $22.00 |
| 1st | 60% | $900,000 |
| 2nd | 20% | $300,000 |
| 3rd | 11% | $165,000 |
| 4th | 6% | $90,000 |
| 5th | 3% | $45,000 |
Breaking Down the Weather Forecast
Horse racing fans in Baltimore or the surrounding areas are dealing with huge amounts of rain and wind during Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Day, and there is a serious concern about the weather for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
While the course will undoubtedly be moist for the 139th Preakness Stakes, Weather.com is calling for a zero percent chance of precipitation on Saturday.
According to Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form, the hope from the officials at the track is that the rain clears up early enough Friday in order to make proper adjustments for the second leg of the Triple Crown:
Luckily for the horses already at Pimlico Race Course, the track officials claim that the surface material “dries fast and runs well in mud,” according to Alex Sosnowski of AccuWeather.com.
According to Northeast Weather Expert Dave Dombek, via Sosnowski, the course is expecting torrential rain on Friday and a few possible pockets of rain late on Saturday:
"A general 1 to 2 inches of rain is forecast to fall on the Baltimore area during Friday over a six- to eight-hour period but locally higher amounts can occur.
During Saturday late afternoon and evening, spotty showers and thunderstorms are likely to pop up over northern Maryland and Virginia as a puddle of chilly air moves in high in the atmosphere. Much of the time will be free of rain Saturday evening, but there is just that remote chance one of those pop-up showers will wander through.
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With the sun expected to shine for much of Saturday morning and early afternoon, the hope is that Mother Nature assists in the process of getting the track as dry as possible for the Preakness main event.
Regardless of the track condition, there is likely no risk of the race being cancelled with heavy rain not expected for Saturday. While all patrons attending the race or partying in the infield should bring ponchos or umbrellas, the hope is that Friday gets the moisture and Saturday remains relatively dry.
There are many horses in this field that don’t run on wet surfaces. California Chrome is a West Coast horse that doesn’t often see rain. With Triple Crown hopes hanging in the balance, fans would hate to see precipitation cost the horse and his team a victory.
Luckily enough for California Chrome, he is one of the fastest horses out of the gate and has a favorable starting spot with the No. 3 post. If the horse and jockey Victor Espinoza can get out of the gates clean and avoid traffic, Chrome will cruise to an easy win.
On the other hand, if Chrome gets bogged down in traffic and contends with mud in his face, the hopes of a Triple Crown will be gone. Despite all of the hard work from everyone involved, we are all still at the mercy of Mother Nature.
*Stats via HorseRacingNation.com.
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