Preakness Start Time 2015: Race Post Info, NBC TV Coverage and More

In a way, you almost have to feel a little bad for the Belmont Stakes. After all, the Kentucky Derby is horse racing's most famous event, and the upcoming Preakness Stakes always has a hype train that comes roaring into town as the country hopes the Derby winner can keep the Triple Crown hopes alive at Pimlico.

But if that horse cannot pull off the feat—this year, the hopes and dreams lie on the back of American Pharoah—then the Belmont Stakes becomes a bit of an afterthought.

So all eyes will be on Pharoah at Saturday's Preakness, as he not only attempts to make it two Triple Crown races in a row but also races to keep the Belmont relevant beyond the hardcore racing fans who will watch it regardless of the outcome.

You can bet a few folks in New York are rooting heavily for Pharoah. But first, we have to get through the Preakness, so let's take a look at the schedule, the television coverage and a preview of the race at Pimlico.

Date	Time (ET)	Event	Watch
Saturday, May 16	4:30 p.m.	Preakness Stakes (post time will be approximately 6:18 p.m. ET)	NBC

Here's the field:

Post Position	Horse	Odds	Trainer	Jockey
1	American Pharoah	10-13	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza
2	Dortmund	15-4	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia
3	Mr. Z	25-1	D. Wayne Lukas	Corey Nakatani
4	Danzig Moon	14-1	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux
5	Tale of Verve	50-1	Dallas Stewart	Joel Rosario
6	Bodhisattva	50-1	Jose Corrales	Trevor McCarthy
7	Divining Rod	20-1	Arnaud Delacour	Javier Castellano
8	Firing Line	17-4	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens

We can try to manufacture as many storylines as we want before the Preakness, but the only storyline people really, truly care about is whether the Derby winner can go on to win the Triple Crown.

But the going isn't going to be easy for American Pharoah—not with Firing Line and Dortmund in the field. Firing Line gave Pharoah a run for his money at the Derby and on a shorter track might be able to hold off the Derby winner.

Dortmund, meanwhile, doesn't have the talent or the versatility of Pharoah, but he's a steady, fast horse and could be a thorn in Pharoah's side.

Danzig Moon finished fifth at the Derby and rounds out what looks to be a tough Preakness field. 

But in the end, American Pharoah's biggest challenge may not be from another horse—but simply circumstance. Will he get as favorable a run as he did at the Derby? Will he break well? Will he be calm and composed or antsy heading to the starting gate?

Will he run his best race? Will he be refreshed and energetic two weeks after his Derby conquest? Will the track be favorable to his style of running?

When trying to win the Triple Crown, there are always a slew of questions. American Pharoah looks like a horse who could, potentially, have the answers. But he'll need to have them two more times, and at Pimlico this weekend, we'll be closer to knowing whether Pharoah will carve his name into the history books.