Preakness 2015: Updated Weather Forecast, Odds and Payout Info

The few horses left in the 2015 Preakness Stakes field could endure some unfavorable weather at Pimlico.

Weather.com currently cites a 30 percent chance of rain on Saturday with "isolated thunderstorms developing later in the day." The gates are scheduled to open at 6:18 p.m. ET.  

A hot day is expected at Baltimore, with a high of 87 degrees, but the storms might cooperate and pass over the area. Meteorologist Heather Sheffield from the National Weather Service told the Baltimore Sun's Scott Dance that the forecast remains up in the air.

"We're thinking in the Baltimore area it's going to be pretty scattered," Sheffield said. "It might even be hit or miss."

After enjoying a pristine day at Churchill Downs, American Pharoah could now face a messier track during the Triple Crown's second leg. Although aided by several late scratches, the Kentucky Derby winner must combat a tricky post position and his two main Derby competitors.

Yet Bob Baffert's colt is once again favored to finish first. Courtesy of Odds Shark, here's how all eight horses stack up as of Friday morning.

Post Position	Horse	Odds	Trainer	Jockey
1	American Pharoah	10-13	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza
2	Dortmund	15-4	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia
3	Mr. Z	25-1	D. Wayne Lukas	Corey Nakatani
4	Danzig Moon	14-1	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux
5	Tale of Verve	50-1	Dallas Stewart	Joel Rosario
6	Bodhisattva	50-1	Jose Corrales	Trevor McCarthy
7	Divining Rod	20-1	Arnaud Delacour	Javier Castellano
8	Firing Line	17-4	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens

With Todd Pletcher's full stable conspicuously absent, a majority of the owners will earn a payday at Pimlico. TheTripleCrown.com detailed how the top finishers will split the race's $1.5 million purse.

Place	Payout
First	$900,000 (60%)
Second	$300,000 (20%)
Third	$165,000 (11%)
Fourth	$90,000 (6%)
Fifth	$45,000 (3%)

Leading up to the weekend, Pletcher was projected to enter several horses in Carpe Diem, Materiality, Competitive Edge and Stanford. Yet he instead pulled his entire roster, saving them for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

In a harsh critique of Pletcher's practices, Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde chronicled the trainer's history of avoiding the second leg to later thwart someone else's Triple Crown bid: 

"

Pletcher has run 43 horses in the Derby and seven in the Preakness, and is far more likely to contest both of the first two legs of the Triple Crown if he's won the Derby (it's happened only once, in 2010, with Super Saver). No single trainer has done more to undermine the Preakness than Pletcher, who should be about as popular in Baltimore as the Pittsburgh Steelers. Without his contingent, just eight horses are in this year's field – the smallest Preakness field in 15 years.

"

Without those four participants—Competitive Edge was a particularly intriguing choice—the Preakness looks to again feature the same trio fighting for first. American Pharoah's top threats lie in Firing Line and Dortmund, who respectively finished second and third at the Kentucky Derby.

After the post positions were released Wednesday, jockey Gary Stevens likes his chances of besting Baffert's dominant duo. American Pharoah drew the dastardly No. 1 spot, and Dortmund isn't sitting much prettier at No. 2.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Stevens, edged out by American Pharoah jockey Victor Espinoza down the final stretch, talked to USA Today's Dan Wolken about returning the favor from the No. 8 position.

"It's a huge advantage," Stevens said. "Having American Pharoah on the outside of me in the Derby, Victor had options and he took advantage of them. Hopefully I'll be able to take the same kind of advantage in this race. I'm going to sleep a lot easier tonight than had I drawn on the inside."

Firing Line has finished second four times in six starts, but he now has a tremendous opportunity to steal the spotlight for his third victory, which would give Stevens his fourth Preakness win.