Preakness Draw 2015: Full Schedule, Live Stream Info for Post-Position Draw

The 2015 Preakness Stakes is merely four days away, and over the course of the week there will be a handful of significant events that could help decide the outcome of the annual horse race.

Each and every year the post-position draw has an impact on the race, as favorable position tends to alter which horses are the favorites. At the same time, the odds-on favorite horse can lose that status by drawing a poor position.

Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah currently sits as the favorite to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. American Pharoah is being favored at 5-6, according to Oddsshark.com. Additionally, Firing Line sits second at 5-1, and Dortmund rounds out the top three at 11-2. Of course, this is before the post-position draw.

As we await the draw and anticipate how this will affect American Pharoah's and his competitors' fates, here is some important information you'll need to know heading into the 2015 Preakness Stakes.

2015 Preakness Stakes: Post-Position Draw

When: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

TV/Live Stream: HRTV.com (subscription required)

Top Horses to Watch

American Pharoah

The Kentucky Derby marked the fifth consecutive race American Pharoah has come out victorious. Like other recent Derby winners such as California Chrome and I'll Have Another, winning the first leg of the Triple Crown has made American Pharoah the favorite entering the Preakness Stakes.

Garry Jones/Associated Press

American Pharoah is a three-year-old colt who boasts an unbeaten mark in races in 2015, a streak which dates back to September of 2014. During that five-race win streak, American Pharoah has edged Calculator twice and at the Kentucky Derby finished ahead of Firing Line (second) and Dortmund (third).

American Pharoah's trainer, Bob Baffert, is heading to Pimlico with no shortage of confidence. As he and his colt aim to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown, Baffert believes the Preakness is "the easiest" of the three races.

"To me, the Preakness is the easiest of the three legs," Baffert said, via AL.com. "The Derby is the hardest. Once you get through there, you know your horses are in top form. It's a two-week turnaround. It's just a matter of getting there."

To Baffert's credit, 13 of the horses who won the Kentucky Derby have also finished first at the Preakness since Affirmed last captured the Triple Crown in 1978. That includes two of the last three Derby winners.

Firing Line

The No. 2 contender at this time, Firing Line, overcame two close losses to Dortmund by edging out his competitor for second place at the Kentucky Derby. American Pharoah overtook Firing Line in the last stretch of the Derby and wound up winning by a length. That finish has lifted Firing Line into the discussion of the top contenders at the Preakness Stakes. 

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Like American Pharoah, Firing Line is three years old and, after his close loss at the Kentucky Derby, has maintained his regular eating habits and is keeping his weight stable, which jockey Humberto Gomez told the Courier-Journal bodes well for his horse's chances this weekend:

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Every time I open gallop, I like to put him on the rail. He feels comfortable there. And the track is good today so I didn't have to look for good spot (sic), like the last two days (when it had rained). Honestly, when I'm on him, he does everything. I just sit on him. ...

He had another good day. He was very comfortable. He has had a very good week. The main concern coming out of a tough race (like the Derby) is keeping his weight on, which he has. He has never stopped eating.

 

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Dortmund

Dortmund's stamina caught up with him during the Kentucky Derby, as the horse attempted to maintain the lead in the race from start to finish and was obviously unable to accomplish such a grand feat.

A third-place finish in the Derby has made Dortmund one of the top three contenders in the Preakness Stakes. Because the Preakness is only a 16th-of-a-mile shorter than the previous race, perhaps Dortmund's stamina will play a greater role this time around.

Garry Jones/Associated Press

The rivalry between American Pharoah is in high gear since the Kentucky Derby, and it's American Pharoah's owner, Ahmed Zayat, who is firing the shots.

According to AL.com, Zayat provided Dortmund with a backhanded compliment to further bolster his horse's stock.

"Dortmund is a very nice horse, but we beat him in the Derby and we'll beat him again. It's as simple as that," said Zayat. "In my opinion, (American Pharoah) has the talent to beat the horses he's already beaten, and the fresh horses who did not run in the Derby are not as tough as the Derby horses."