American Pharoah Will Win 2015 Preakness Stakes to Continue Triple Crown Pursuit

Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah enters the 2015 Preakness Stakes as the odds-on favorite, according to Odds Shark, and there's an abundance of reasons why that's the case.

Sure, it's easy to declare Pharoah the favorite simply for winning the Derby, but it was the manner in which he won that was most impressive. While his one-length victory over Firing Line doesn't look overly astonishing on paper, that changes when reflecting on the obstacles the colt overcame during the 1 ¼-mile race.

Starting from the No. 16 gate—Pharoah moved inside two spots due to scratches—the colt had plenty of extra ground to make up immediately. He broke cleanly from the gate and quickly propelled himself to the front of the pack, eventually settling in behind Dortmund and Firing Line. That was the easy part.

Starting on the outside forced jockey Victor Espinoza to keep Pharoah three wide in an effort to avoid running into traffic. This severely lengthened the Derby for the colt, testing his endurance and ability to maintain a solid pace throughout the race.

He succeeded with flying colors, as his enormous stamina came through when Espinoza asked him to run following the final turn, and the colt breezed past two very strong contenders. Take a look back at Pharoah's sparkling performance at Churchill Downs:

Before the Kentucky Derby, Pharoah hadn't been challenged in such a way, winning his previous four races by substantial margins. Espinoza commented on how the Derby helped the colt during an interview with the Sports Network, via Kentucky.com:

"I think the Derby sets him up well for the Preakness; I think he needed that kind of race. He really only had two races for the Kentucky Derby since coming off a layoff, and they were so easy that the Derby was a challenge, but it was a good experience for his next race."

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Bob Baffert, Pharoah's trainer, shared his thoughts in the upcoming race during an interview with Richard Rosenblatt of the Associated Press, via ABCNews.com:

"To me, the Preakness is the easiest of the three legs. 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."

So, if it's just a matter of getting to Pimlico, we're left with this burning question: How has Pharoah looked during his preparation for the race?

Baffert answered that question during a press conference, via Preakness.com, "American Pharoah floated over the ground and picked up his gallop the last half-mile. He wanted to do more."

That sure sounds encouraging.

If Pharoah is still in top form, as Baffert alludes, winning the Preakness won't be an issue. The colt already proved to be the best horse coming out of the Derby, and this time around, he won't be stuck with a similar post position due to a far smaller field at Pimlico. As for the Triple Crown newcomers, Pharoah's biggest competition may come from Competitive Edge—a colt that has never entered a race longer than one mile.

Pharoah is set up to dominate.

Outside of the field, the other factor is the elements. According to Weather.com, there is a 50 percent chance Pimlico will see scattered thunderstorms Saturday afternoon. If that's the case, the Preakness may be held on a wet, muddy track. Although, that's not actually a disadvantage for Pharoah.

Earlier this year, Pharoah experienced similar conditions in the Rebel Stakes and went on to win the race by an impressive 6 ¼ lengths. Take a look back at his wire-to-wire victory:

While the field wasn't as strong in the Rebel Stakes, the takeaway is the ease in which Pharoah broke from the gate, accelerated quickly, maintained a quick pace and finished strong on a muddy surface. His success in those conditions bodes well for the potentially wet Preakness Stakes.

From the expected weather conditions to the field and Pharoah's trainer and jockey, everything points in the direction of the colt emerging victorious in the Preakness. Expect to see the chase for the coveted Triple Crown continue entering the June 6 Belmont Stakes.