American Pharoah's Preakness and Triple Crown Odds After Kentucky Derby Win

After American Pharoah triumphed in the Kentucky Derby, the attention now turns to the Preakness Stakes and the Triple Crown.

The Preakness Stakes are just around the corner on May 16, and Bob Baffert has confirmed that American Pharoah is currently set to compete, per the Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman:

According to Ron Mitchell of BloodHorse.com, he said: "As of right now, I don't see why not. We'll see how they train next week."

Here are the odds for American Pharoah in the Preakness and for the Triple Crown—which requires an additional victory in the Belmont Stakes—as well as a closer look at how the colt might fare.

Bet	Odds
American Pharoah wins Preakness Stakes	10-13 (-130)
The field wins Preakness Stakes	10-11 (-110)
American Pharoah wins Triple Crown	21-10 (+210)
American Pharoah won't win Triple Crown	10-29 (-290)

At 10-13 (-130), American Pharoah is the favourite to win the Preakness at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and with good reason after such a strong ride in the Derby.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The favourite prior to the race at 3-1, American Pharoah justified his status by living up to the hype.

Trainer Baffert noted the attention American Pharoah has received, per Sky Sports: "There’s a lot of positive energy on this horse. There’s a certain aura about him. He’s caught people’s attention. He makes a trainer really look good."

He ran the 10-furlong race in a time of two minutes, 3.02 seconds and fended off fierce challenges from Firing Line and Dortmund.

Elsa/Getty Images

As Trakus Racing points out, the colt actually did so despite covering more ground than his competitors:

American Pharoah has won every race of his career since losing on his debut, so to be favourite for the Preakness is understandable as he will undoubtedly perform well yet again.

However, since no horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, the odds are against American Pharoah winning both the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes at 21-10 (+210).

American Pharoah has demonstrated speed, endurance and determination so far in his short career, but the Triple Crown will be an incredibly difficult feat to pull off.

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Adding to the difficulty is the strong opposition he will likely face. The Derby was Dortmund's first loss in seven races, and the horse is an incredibly powerful runner. Dortmund, also trained by Baffert, will remain a strong contender in both races, barring any mishaps.

So too will Firing Line, who finished just one length behind American Pharoah at Churchill Downs. Privman is enthusiastic about Firing Line's chances of success in future.

Another cause for concern could be the amount of encouragement American Pharoah needs in order to triumph in a close race, as Privman notes:

This could count against American Pharoah if the other races are as tight as the Derby.

Ultimately, American Pharoah is a very strong contender and has a great chance of making it two-for-two in the Triple Crown in Baltimore on May 16.

Whether he can go all the way and win the Belmont on June 6 as well remains to be seen, but it could be a rewarding bet for those bold enough to go for it.

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.