Preakness 2015 Post Positions: Updated Picks and Predictions After Draw

While the middle stretch of the Triple Crown is a tad weaker than anticipated, it's clear the 2015 Preakness Stakes will still be quite the entertaining affair after Wednesday's post-positions draw.

There, a field of eight horses shuffled into official alignment, where it's impossible to ignore Bob Baffert's American Pharoah out of the No. 1 hole. Ditto for his other top horse, Dortmund, running out of the second post.

Thanks to a mixture of Kentucky Derby contenders and new faces looking to play the spoiler, this year's event at Pimlico isn't one to miss.

Below, let's take a look at the official order decided Wednesday and nail down some fresh predictions.

2015 Preakness Stakes Post Positions

Post Position	Horse	Odds	Trainer	Jockey
1	American Pharoah	4-5	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza
2	Dortmund	7-2	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia
3	Mr. Z	20-1	D. Wayne Lukas	Corey Nakatani
4	Danzig Moon	15-1	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux
5	Tale of Verve	30-1	Dallas Stewart	Joel Rosario
6	Bodhisattva	20-1	Jose Corrales	Trevor McCarthy
7	Divining Rod	12-1	Arnaud Delacour	Javier Castellano
8	Firing Line	4-1	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens

Updated Preakness Stakes Picks 

Place	Horse
Win	American Pharoah
Place	Firing Line
Show	Dortmund

How boring, right?

The fact is, the draw was never going to mean much when it comes to the sport's most dominant horse, American Pharoah.

Some thought it would at the Kentucky Derby, where Baffert's crown jewel drew a rough spot, then even moved to No. 17 for a tad due to scratches. As in the No. 17 spot that has never produced a winner at Churchill Downs. Yet American Pharoah lived up to the incredible hype by turning it on late and winning.

So no, the fact American Pharoah drew post No. 1 isn't a major ordeal.

At this point, American Pharoah has managed to match the wild hype of California Chrome from one year ago, and he's a near-Triple Crown winner who offers a pretty good idea of what to expect. 

Think back to one year ago, where jockey Victor Espinoza rode California Chrome to victory. This year, he's atop American Pharoah and knows how to pull off the feat. So too does Baffert, whose three Derby winners have all won at Pimlico, and he's even gone as far as to say the quick turnaround of the Preakness is the easiest of all.

"To me, the Preakness is the easiest of the three legs," Baffert said, per Richard Rosenblatt of the Associated Press. "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."

Out of the first spot, Espinoza can either set the pace or come from behind at the right time, as American Pharoah has shown an ability to do both.

Espinoza has some competition in the elite-jockey department, though, thanks to the legendary Gary Stevens, who will once again be aboard Firing Line. The Simon Callaghan-trained horse held the lead late in the Derby, and it shouldn't be a shock to see him stick around once again.

After all, Firing Line pushed Dortmund to his very limits at the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes, with Baffert's horse only winning by a head. Stevens won't have any issues navigating out of the No. 8 post, so expect Firing Line to push American Pharoah to the brink on the shorter track.

Some won't like the No. 8 post for Firing Line. Just don't tell Stevens, as Dan Wolken of USA Today captures:

Speaking of a shorter track, Dortmund is the big winner of Pimlico's length.

Dortmund has won six of his seven races thanks to an eye-popping burst and sustained endurance. The only loss came at the Kentucky Derby, as jockey Martin Garcia attempted the feat one more time and ran out of gas down the stretch.

A shorter track should help, but it's important to note both the quick turnaround and the extensive amount of races for Dortmund to date. If the horse is going to experience a slight drop-off in energy, it figures to come sooner rather than later.

To be fair, though, even Baffert doesn't like the fact both his horses will line up together, per KY Derby Contenders:

There's no reason to believe the three favorites won't stand tall over the rest of a small, predictable field, especially with no Todd Pletcher-trained horse in the running.

Barring a dramatic surprise from a high-upside horse yet to reach his potential, the final three seem obvious, with American Pharoah following in California Chrome's footsteps to New York, hoping to have enough left in the tank to accomplish a feat not seen in 37 years.

Stats and information via Preakness.com unless otherwise specified.