2015 Preakness: Odds and Predictions for Top Favorites Among All Entries
Little rest is in order for those making the quick turnaround from the Kentucky Derby to the 2015 Preakness Stakes. Come Saturday, American Pharoah will have the chance to prove the lack of rest pales in comparison to his prestige.
Triple Crown thoughts buzz around the sport every time a Derby winner is crowned, but this contender just might be able to pull off the feat not done in nearly 40 years. If American Pharoah is going to move one step closer to that elusive prize, he will have to overcome a familiar group of contenders.
It's officially race week, so let's take an early look at the odds and predictions for top horses before the field is released at the post positions draw.
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2015 Preakness Stakes Odds
| American Pharoah | 5-6 |
| Firing Line | 5-1 |
| Dortmund | 11-2 |
| Carpe Diem | 12-1 |
| Competitive Edge | 14-1 |
| Materiality | 16-1 |
| Danzig Moon | 20-1 |
| Divining Rod | 22-1 |
| Bodhisattva | 40-1 |
| Stanford | 40-1 |
| Grand Bill | 50-1 |
| Tale of Verve | 66-1 |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated May 11
Predictions for Top Favorites
American Pharoah
Everyone is still looking up at American Pharoah heading into the second of three Triple Crown races.
The previous Kentucky Derby favorite validated his status at Churchill Downs a few short weeks ago, emerging from a few lengths back to overtake both Dortmund and Firing Line for the victory. Had jockey Victor Espinoza not pulled the horse a bit too far to the outside down the stretch, he would have won by much more than the one length.
Resilient runs from Firing Line and Dortmund in the Derby should leave any fan or bettor of American Pharoah nervous heading into this one, but there's no denying he is the cream of the crop.
He looked the part of the best horse in a loaded field a few weeks ago, and he pulled out his first-ever victory in which there was real adversity and top-notch talent to catch up to. Stablemate Dortmund had never lost a race in his career, and Firing Line wouldn't budge down the stretch.
After winning the closest race of his career, American Pharoah should only improve heading into Pimlico Race Course—which happens to be the shortest of the Triple Crown tracks. The favorite will put his best hoof forward and move one win away from the Triple Crown.
Prediction: American Pharoah wins
Dortmund
It's time for Dortmund to eye his redemption.
The big-bodied horse who had won all six of his career races started the Derby out on fire, setting the pace and leading for the vast majority of the race before both Firing Line and Pharoah overtook him. He's trained by Bob Baffert just like American Pharoah, but the longtime trainer didn't opt to take the biggest threat to his Triple Crown contender's throne off the card.
Instead, American Pharoah's biggest nemesis will be in the gates. And Baffert doesn't seem too worried about whether Dortmund could end up spoiling the party, per the Courier-Journal's Jonathan Lintner: "If Dortmund turns the tables on him, so be it."
A shorter track should play into Dortmund's favor, since the final stretch was what did him in at the Derby. But it's still 1 3/16 miles, and Dortmund's demise came much earlier than that at Churchill Downs.
He has the pace to take another early lead, but it will be nearly impossible to hold off American Pharoah. The post positions will loom large. If Dortmund is placed inside of Pharoah, he will have virtually no shot.
Prediction: Dortmund finishes second
Firing Line
Firing Line put all his chips into Churchill Downs and came up one length short. But in the post-Kentucky Derby world, there is plenty to get up for and little time to prepare for it.
After coming so drastically close to winning the sport's biggest race, Firing Line's camp now eyes another huge opportunity. But it will breed unfamiliarity. Firing Line has never had a rest of less than three weeks between races, per Jeremy Balan of the Blood-Horse, and this is just a two-week layoff.
That doesn't seem to be worrying his trainer too much.
"It's probably not ideal for any horse, but if any horse can do it, it's this horse," trainer Simon Callaghan told Balan. "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."
Firing Line is undoubtedly quick, as it has taken Dortmund's best efforts—and recently that of American Pharoah—to be able to usurp him as champion at any track. He should put that on display again, but unfortunately, his two biggest nemeses will be alongside him.
This time around, Dortmund won't lose steam down the stretch and will hold off Firing Line for second.
Prediction: Firing Line finishes third
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