Preakness 2015: Latest Odds on American Pharoah's Top Pimlico Competition
The gaze of the horse racing world will be firmly fixed on American Pharoah at the 2015 Preakness Stakes, as the Bob Baffert-trained colt bids to secure the second leg of a coveted Triple Crown triumph.
After surging to glory in the Kentucky Derby, jockey Roger Espinoza will look to steer the impressive three-year-old to victory at Pimlico Race Course, but as Saturday edges ever closer, it's becoming increasingly clear that this exceptional horse may not have things quite his own way.
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With that in mind, here's a look at odds for the second of the two illustrious chases, with the focus on some of American Pharoah's main competition in his quest for racing history.
| American Pharoah | 5/6 |
| Firing Line | 5/1 |
| Dortmund | 6/1 |
| Carpe Diem | 12/1 |
| Competitive Edge | 14/1 |
| Materiality | 16/1 |
| Danzig Moon | 20/1 |
| Divining Rod | 22/1 |
| Mr Z | 33/1 |
| Bodhisattva | 40/1 |
| Stanford | 40/1 |
| Grand Bili | 50/1 |
| Tale of Verve | 50/1 |
For full odds listings, check out the Odds Shark website. Odds accurate as of 6:30 p.m. (BST) May 10.
Firing Line
Ahead of the Kentucky Derby, Firing Line wasn't really considered a real contender for glory. But under the astute tutelage of Gary Stevens, he ran a fine race and was eventually just a length short of American Pharoah.
Here's a reminder of just how close he came to victory:
Firing Line was just overhauled in the latter stages by the eventual winner, so perhaps the slightly shorter distance at Preakness (1 and 3/16 miles) will assist him here. Indeed, trained by Simon Callaghan, this is a horse who has got plenty excited in the aftermath of the Run for the Roses, and it'd be a big surprise if he didn't feature strongly.
As noted by Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form, Firing Line definitely has the quality to mix it with the most illustrious horses in the field:
Having gone so close in the Derby, confidence will be high in the buildup to Preakness. But there was a sense in the final furlong of the Kentucky showpiece that Espinoza was doing just enough on American Pharoah. As such, don't expect Firing Line to get much closer the second time around.
Dortmund
The most likely challenge to American Pharoah's crown is to come from stablemate Dortmund. He finished in third in the Run for the Roses, and a win here would make for a bittersweet afternoon for Baffert, who also trains this impressive colt.
As we can see here, courtesy of horse racing expert Mary Ellet, he definitely has all of the physical attributes to take victory at Preakness:
Going into the Derby, there was a lot of excitement surrounding Dortmund. After all, the colt had not lost in any of his six races in the buildup, and as already noted, he's an indomitable looking horse. But at Churchill Downs, he just ran out of gas. Like Firing Line, he may be better suited to the slightly shorter distance.
For racing fans, having Dortmund and American Pharoah battling it out for Preakness glory is a massive positive, but plenty have aired skeptical views that Baffert may not be so keen on one of his own potentially scuppering the chance of a Triple Crown.
But Ahmed Zayat, who owns the Derby winner, has insisted he relishes the competition, per Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal:
"I'm a competitive guy by nature. I've never ducked anything or (taken the) easy way. I want to earn it, and I believe we have the best horse. So if I'm the best horse, I don't care who (the competition) is.
I think we're the better horse. We beat him before. I'm hopeful we can beat him again. I honestly think we have to earn it.
"
Dortmund has a great chance here, and Martin Garcia looks set to be aboard him once again. After such a fiercely contested race at Churchill Downs, he should be better for the experience.
The colt will definitely be in the mix, and if he's in front in the latter stages, it's going to be fascinating to see if he can hold off a late surge from the Triple Crown contender.
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