Preakness 2015 Post Positions: Horse Odds, Prize Money, Predictions and More
All eyes will be on American Pharoah at the 2015 Preakness Stakes. The Kentucky Derby winner heads into the second leg of the Triple Crown with a legitimate chance of ending the 37-year Triple Crown drought after a terrific showing two weeks ago.
Pharoah will face a field of just seven challengers. That said, the group does include Firing Line (second in the Derby) and Dortmund (third) as well as some new shooters looking to play the role of spoiler. So the favorite should still face pressure.
Let's check out all of the key details for the race, including the television info, complete field and the prize money at stake. That's followed by a closer look at the Pimlico showcase and predictions for the top three finishers.
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Viewing Information
Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
When: Saturday, May 16 at 6:18 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
2015 Preakness Field
| 1 | American Pharoah | Bob Baffert | Victor Espinoza | 10-13 |
| 2 | Dortmund | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 15-4 |
| 3 | Mr. Z | D. Wayne Lukas | Corey Nakatani | 25-1 |
| 4 | Danzig Moon | Mark Casse | Julien Leparoux | 14-1 |
| 5 | Tale of Verve | Dallas Stewart | Joel Rosario | 50-1 |
| 6 | Bodhisattva | Jose Corrales | Trevor McCarthy | 50-1 |
| 7 | Divining Rod | Arnaud Delacour | Javier Castellano | 20-1 |
| 8 | Firing Line | Simon Callaghan | Gary Stevens | 17-4 |
Prize Money
| 1 | 60% | $900,000 |
| 2 | 20% | $300,000 |
| 3 | 11% | $165,000 |
| 4 | 6% | $90,000 |
| 5 | 3% | $45,000 |
Race Preview
American Pharoah was pushed by Firing Line during the homestretch of the Kentucky Derby. There were questions about how he would respond in that type of situation after some dominant showings leading up to the Triple Crown. He found the extra gear necessary to pull away late.
The next question mark is how he'll respond on short rest. The schedule is one of the major hurdles when it comes to winning all three races. Beating stiff competition three times in five weeks is not something these horses are used to at this stage of their careers.
Dan Wolken of USA Today passed along comments from Firing Line trainer Simon Callaghan, who admitted the immediate turnaround leads to uncertainty for all three top Derby finishers.
"I think they're very close in ability," Callaghan said. "I think everyone's got a lot of respect for all three horses, and probably not everyone is going to (run their best race) coming back in two weeks. Hopefully we do."
Pharoah also drew the extreme inside post, which takes away some of his margin for error. A clean start is crucial to success. Randy Moss of NBC Sports doesn't think it will be a serious problem, though:
After Firing Line was the biggest test for Pharoah in the Derby, Dortmund could very well assume that role this time. He breaks from directly next to the favorite, which gives jockey Martin Garcia a perfect chance to survey the landscape, and his terrific stature should help him bounce back on short rest.
David Aragona of NYRA believes that's where the value lies:
One interesting newcomer is Bodhisattva. He's steadily improved throughout his career and is coming off a victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes, which also take place at Pimlico. It makes him an interesting sleeper, at least for exotic wagers, on Saturday.
CraigJ of Derbyologist is intrigued by how far the horse has come since a race last November:
It's hard to pick against American Pharoah. Even with the questions about post position and possible fatigue, the fact remains he's the most talented horse in the field. It would take a poor performance from him or a truly outstanding one from another horse for the favorite not to win.
Expect another close race, but Pharoah should head to the Belmont with a chance at history.
Predictions: 1. American Pharoah 2. Dortmund 3. Bodhisattva
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