Preakness Odds 2015: Latest Betting Lines and Prediction

After a thrilling renewal of the Kentucky Derby, all eyes are pointed toward Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes. 

While the field will not be officially set until later in the week, the contenders have been mostly established, and the picture for the Preakness Stakes is beginning to become clear.

Obviously, the top contender is American Pharoah after delivering as the favorite and winning the Run for the Roses. But, in winning, did the champion reveal some chinks in his previously flawless armor? Are a few new faces or an old rival ready to step up and steal the spotlight?

Read on as we take a look at the potential field for the Preakness Stakes with some predictions as to what to expect Saturday. 

Grand Bili

Current Odds: 50-1

Prediction: 13th

By any stretch of the imagination, the idea that Grand Bili can have an impact in the Preakness Stakes is a stretch. He is unproven beyond seven furlongs or against stakes competition. With only two starts, he has only a maiden win to his credit.

Though class is obviously a major question mark, the potential distance limitations of this colt could be even more troublesome. His sire is the brilliant sprinter City Zip, and his stakes-winning mare never won beyond seven furlongs.

Mr. Z

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Current Odds: 33-1

Prediction: 12th 

Though D. Wayne Lukas was able to parlay Oxbow's sixth-place finish in the 2013 Kentucky Derby into an upset victory in the Preakness Stakes, Mr. Z has his work cut out for him. He finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby this year and will be making his sixth start of the year in the Preakness.

He has one win from 13 starts, and with what has already been a demanding first half of the year campaign, he could be ready to take an even bigger step backward. But, as is always the case with Lukas, anything can happen.

Bodhisattva

Current Odds: 40-1

Prediction: 11th 

Bodhisattva has the home-track advantage, but with the projected, star-studded field heading toward the Preakness, that may not be enough. He earned the first graded stakes victory of his career last time out in the Federico Tesio Stakes (G2), which is held at Pimlico and designed to be a prep for the Preakness Stakes.

Historically, however, the Federico Tesio Stakes (G2) has not produced any major winners in the Preakness Stakes. Last year, Kid Cruz could only manage eighth place after his victory in the prep race. 

Tale of Verve

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Current Odds: 50-1

Prediction: 10th

With several scratches leading up to the Kentucky Derby, there was a brief chance that maiden winner Tale of Verve would draw into the field. Ultimately, he and trainer Dallas Stewart had to watch from the sidelines and instead focused their attention on the second and third jewels of the Triple Crown.

Stewart, who has saddled several long shots to hit the board in recent editions of the Kentucky Derby, is not expecting a huge effort from his colt. As he told Jennie Rees of the Courier Journal, he is using the Preakness as a training race for the longer, mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes, where he feels his colt will excel.

"Hopefully he hits the board, hopefully he wins it, gets a good race and ready for the Belmont, which I think he'd be a factor going that far," he said. "That's kind of how I'm thinking now."

Stanford

Current Odds: 40-1

Prediction: 9th

Todd Pletcher elected to scratch Stanford days before the Kentucky Derby, and the colt will join a formidable group for the powerhouse outfit in the Preakness. The inconsistent colt lost only by a neck to International Star in the Louisiana Derby (G2), but because that colt also scratched out of the Run for the Roses, there is no telling how legitimate a race it was.

He will be in a tough position in the Preakness because while he does have some speed, he is far from the fastest of the front-runners in this talented group. 

Divining Rod

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Current Odds: 22-1

Prediction: 8th 

Bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson, the colt's blue, green and white silks conjure up memories of Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro, who suffered a devastating injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes. Divining Rod will be stepping back up to the big leagues after a sharp win in the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. 

He has been on the board in all five starts but was no match for Carpe Diem when they met in the spring. He is getting a rematch with Carpe Diem and some even more formidable opponents here.

Danzig Moon

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Current Odds: 20-1

Prediction: 7th

Danzig Moon did a lot of things right in the Kentucky Derby. Despite a rough trip, he battled resiliently to get fifth and turned in a credible effort. According to assistant trainer Norman Casse, the horse "deserves another chance" as he told the Baltimore Sun.

But does he? Going into the Kentucky Derby, he had a lone maiden victory to his credit, and his efforts against graded stakes competition had been spotty. He did run a good race in Kentucky but still has a ways to go to prove he is a top-tier Grade 1 horse.

Carpe Diem

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Current Odds: 12-1

Prediction: 6th

Carpe Diem may have been the most disappointing horse in the Kentucky Derby. Going into the race, he looked like the complete package—a royally bred, talented colt with a seven-figure price tag and a string of impressive victories.

Instead, he wound up a non-threatening fifth with no real excuse. In the paddock, his hot temperament appeared to get the best of him, and he wound himself up more with each lap, potentially leaving his race there. Since then, however, he has been training forwardly and will be trying to redeem himself.

"Carpe Diem shows good energy in gallop," wrote Daily Racing Form's David Grening on Saturday. 

Firing Line

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Current Odds: 5-1

Prediction: 5th

Firing Line gave American Pharoah almost everything he could handle in the Kentucky Derby and will be trying to turn the tables on his rival in the Preakness. How much did his tenacious effort take out of him on the first Saturday in May, though? He, like his fellow Kentucky Derby participants, will be wheeling back on two weeks' rest.

Trainer Simon Callaghan, in an interview with Jeremy Balan of the Blood Horse, expressed confidence in his horse's ability to bounce back and be competitive:

"

It's probably not ideal for any horse, but if any horse can do it, it's this horse .He's got great constitution, a great mind, and he seems to have even come out of that race really good. Even that night, he ate everything up. He has the qualities that suggest he can handle the turn-back pretty quick.

"

Materiality

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Current Odds: 16-1

Prediction: 4th

Materiality may have run the best race of any horse in the Kentucky Derby. The inexperienced colt broke a step slowly and was forced to show a new dimension and launch his run from off the pace. All three of his prior efforts had been front-running ones.

In addition to a last-minute change of tactics, he grabbed a front shoe at one point during the race and completed the race with only three of his four shoes. Pulling off a shoe can be painful and expose a thoroughbred's sensitive feet to both the harsh sand of the racetrack and the impact of the sport.

Despite all of this, he ran strongly and finished sixth. With a clean trip and a little luck, he could be a big contender. 

American Pharoah

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Current Odds: 5-6

Prediction: 3rd

At the top of the stretch, Victor Espinoza went to the whip on the Kentucky Derby favorite American Pharoah and would go on to strike the champion 32 times in what could have been a highly scrutinized ride. Regardless of the amount of times the colt was encouraged, the fact remains that he went all-out to defeat Firing Line and his stablemate Dortmund.

He will be the heavy favorite again, but he is not unbeatable. With potentially 12 rivals ready to take him on, the second jewel of the Triple Crown will not be handed to him. 

Competitive Edge

Current Odds: 14-1

Prediction: 2nd

Competitive Edge turned in one of the most impressive performances at Churchill Downs on May 2 with a 4 ½-length victory in the Pat Day Mile (G3) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. A perfect 4-of-4, at this point there is no telling how talented this colt may actually be, and even trainer Todd Pletcher is not quite sure.

"I think Competitive Edge's race was impressive enough to make you consider just about anything," Pletcher told Jonathan Lintner of the Courier Journal. "Wouldn't duck anyone as long as you felt like the timing and everything was OK for him."

Though new shooters are always dangerous, it is worth noting that he is coming back on the same rest as his rivals who ran in the Kentucky Derby. 

Dortmund

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Current Odds: 6-1

Prediction: 1st

Dortmund suffered the first defeat of his career in the Kentucky Derby and had to settle for third, while Firing Line turned the tables on their ongoing rivalry and stablemate American Pharoah got the better of him. He may have lost the battle, but the massive chestnut colt could come back to win the war.

Dortmund set the pace in the Kentucky Derby, and while he was not put through ridiculous fractions, he came up empty in the stretch. Cutting back from the 1 1/4 miles of the Derby to the 1 3/16 miles of the Preakness could be just the edge that he needs to sustain his speed. And, after six victories prior to the Derby, there is no doubt this colt likes to win. 

All odds are courtesy of Odds Shark and are current as of May 10.