2015 Preakness: TV and Live Stream Info for Post Positions Draw

In a normal year, the post positions draw at Pimlico to decide the order of the Preakness Stakes means quite a lot. 

This doesn't seem to be a normal year, though. At least not after Bob Baffert's American Pharoah drew a questionable spot at the Kentucky Derby and even flirted with the dreaded No. 17 post, which has never produced a winner, but still ran past all opposition down the stretch.

Granted, the Preakness can always be more unpredictable, with a shorter distance to the finish line and fewer horses, meaning all involved have more room to operate.

Below, let's take a look at the latest details ahead of Wednesday's post positions draw.

2015 Preakness Stakes: Post Position Draw

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

Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore

TV/Live Stream: HRTV.com

Preview 

Factors around the event in Pimlico, as well as American Pharoah's budding Triple Crown bid, continue to change at a whirlwind pace.

Most notable is the withdrawal of legendary trainer Todd Pletcher, who figured to send an impressive stable of contenders to Baltimore. The names include Materiality, Carpe Diem, Competitive Edge and Stanford.

Pletcher decided to scratch them all and won't be at the event. He explained the decision to Jonathan Lintner of the Courier-Journal:

"

We were considering it very seriously. Basically, it came down to we just felt two weeks was a little bit risky. We felt five weeks to the Belmont would be an advantage for him. He's been at Belmont since two days after the Derby and has been training well. He's by a Belmont-winning sire. If you come back in two weeks and you turn out to be wrong, not only could you not run well in the Preakness, it could compromise your chances in the Belmont as well.

"

It's a common line of thinking for those who come up short at Churchill Downs, as most prefer to not run the risk of such a quick turnaround, which is what makes the Preakness perhaps the easiest leg of the Triple Crown.

Not to imply American Pharoah will have it so easy. Stablemate Dortmund, with jockey Martin Garcia leading him—a duo that almost pulled off the unthinkable with a wire-to-wire victory at Churchill Downs—will partake in the shorter dash.

The elite speed and endurance is impressive enough, but it's also worth noting his just coming up short resulted in the first loss of Dortmund's impressive career. 

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Another name folks will recognize at the post positions draw is Firing Line. Gary Stevens, the 52-year-old jockey, will lead him, and he knows how to win pretty much any race from any post at this point.

Firing Line continues to give the top contenders all they can handle, and it seems he's one favorable draw away from pulling off a major upset, perhaps making him the top horse to watch Wednesday.

There are others, of course. Bodhisattva and Divining Rod are high-upside horses who didn't run in the Kentucky Derby but seem set for Pimlico. For both sets of trainers and jockeys, there is a method to the madness, so keep an eye on both of the lesser-known names.

As hinted in the intro, though, the draw may not impact American Pharoah too much. Instead, it seems Baffert worries about another issue out of his control, as KY Derby Contenders captured:

Potential sloppy conditions may offer a more unpredictable result than most would think, so it's yet another worthwhile hurdle for a potential Triple Crown winner.

Granted, the field is much weaker than Baffert could have imagined for American Pharoah. It doesn't hurt to mention all three of his Kentucky Derby winners are also winners at Pimlico, so the legend knows a thing or two about how to find success at the quick turnaround. So does jockey Victor Espinoza, who won both races last year atop California Chrome.

It seems the unorthodox pre-Derby hype surrounding American Pharoah wasn't just the public searching for another name to latch on to in the hopes of breaking a 37-year drought.

Wednesday is another step toward the goal, but keep a close eye on where the other names mentioned land. So far, what American Pharoah can't control hasn't been too kind. So far, it hasn't mattered.

Stats and information via Preakness.com unless otherwise specified.