Preakness Undercard 2015: Full Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and More
The 2015 Preakness Stakes will be the main attraction Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Preceding the second leg of the Triple Crown are numerous undercard races for horse racing enthusiasts.
While none of them are as prestigious as the Preakness, there will surely be plenty of excitement to keep fans in Maryland happy all day Saturday.
Check out the complete undercard race schedule below, with a preview of the 140th Preakness Stakes following.
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| 1 | Maiden | Maidens, 2yo | 5 furlongs (turf) | $50,000 | 10:30 a.m. |
| 2 | 8th running of the Deputed Testamony Starter Hcp | 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles | $30,000 | 11 a.m. |
| 3 | 3rd running of the Xpressbet Purse | 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $50,000 | 11:31 a.m. |
| 4 | 6th running of the James W. Murphy Stakes, presented by RTN | 3yo | 1 miles (turf) | $100,000 | 12:02 p.m. |
| 5 | 29th running of the Maryland Sprint Handicap-GIII, presented by Jagermeister | 3yo and up | 6 furlongs | $150,000 | 12:39 p.m. |
| 6 | 6th running of the LifeBridge Health Good Neighbors Race | F&M, 3yo and up | 5 furlongs (turf) | $52,000 | 1:14 p.m. |
| 7 | 8th running of the Sir Barton Stakes, presented by Jagermeister | 3yo | 1 1/16 miles | $100,000 | 1:51 p.m. |
| 8 | 1st running of the OLD BAY Nation Race | 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $55,000 | 2:35 p.m. |
| 9 | 64th running of the Gallorette Handicap-GIII | F&M, 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $150,000 | 3:19 p.m. |
| 10 | 6th running of the Chick Lang Stakes | 3yo | 6 furlongs | $100,000 | 4:04 p.m. |
| 11 | 16th running of The Very One Stakes | F&M, 3yo and up | 5 furlongs (turf) | $100,000 | 4:44 p.m. |
| 12 | 114th running of the Longines Dixie Stakes-GII | 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles (turf) | $400,000 | 5:25 p.m. |
| 13 | 140th Preakness Stakes | 3yo | 1 3/16 miles | $1,500,000 | 6:18 p.m. |
| 14 | Allowance | 3yo and up | 1 1/16 miles | $52,000 | 7:08 p.m. |
Live stream coverage is available for the Preakness Stakes at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Live Extra, which will have all of Saturday's action as well.
2015 Preakness Stakes Preview
All three of the horses who finished in the money in the Kentucky Derby are gearing up for the Preakness, with prohibitive 10-13 favorite American Pharoah headlining them.
Horse racing is starving for a Triple Crown winner, absent since Affirmed captured all three of the sport's most prestigious jewels in 1978. California Chrome won the Derby and the Preakness last year only to fall short in the Belmont Stakes. Now, American Pharoah is tabbed as the next big hope.
Jockey Victor Espinoza was in the irons for California Chrome's excellent 2014 run and is aboard for American Pharoah and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
TVG alludes to Espinoza's tendency to follow up in the Preakness when he rides the horse to beat:
What makes this Preakness so compelling is Baffert trains both American Pharoah and Dortmund, who'd won all six career starts before settling for third at Churchill Downs. Dortmund, with 9-2 odds, could give Baffert a sixth different winner in the Preakness Stakes yet could also dash Triple Crown hopes.
American Pharoah and Dortmund are in the first and second starting posts, respectively, so that will make the task at least a little harder for the favorites.
Then there's three-time race champion Gary Stevens mounting Kentucky Derby runner-up and 17-4 bet Firing Line, who will start at Pimlico from the No. 8 post—furthest from the rail. Stevens could rest on his laurels at age 52, yet he is still riding at an extremely high level since returning from retirement.
"He's a really good guy, and I think for all these top end races, I don't think you can have anyone better than Gary on your horse," said Firing Line trainer Simon Callaghan of Stevens, per the Associated Press' Mike Farrell. "So in the race, we'll pretty much leave it to him, and whatever he decides to do is good with us."
It would be quite a sight to see another showdown between the three aforementioned horses coming down the stretch. In any event, one of them figures to be prancing about in the winner's circle, if for no other reason than the field is quite exclusive with just seven starters.
This fact from the Daily Racing Form also seems relevant:
But American Pharoah is viewed as a cut above the rest for good reason.
What Espinoza must do is keep his horse motivated while hopefully not inflicting too much punishment with the whip. As long as that happens, American Pharoah has the speed and the demonstrated stamina and finishing ability from Louisville to claim victory on the shorter Preakness track.
Note: Race information courtesy of Preakness.com. Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
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