Preakness 2015: Updated Weather Forecast, Odds and Field Predictions

The 2015 Preakness Stakes is just hours away, and American Pharoah will be looking to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive. The impressive colt may be the race's favorite, but he has plenty of obstacles to overcome if he is to emerge victorious at Pimlico.

Not only must Pharoah contend with second- and third-place Kentucky Derby finishers Firing Line and Dortmund, but he will be forced to do so from the dreaded No. 1 gate. That starting position hasn't exactly been favorable to Preakness contenders in the past, as it has yielded just one winner—Tabasco Cat in 1994—since 1961, according to Preakness.com.

While we anxiously await Pharoah's attempt to overcome the odds and head to the Belmont Stakes looking to become the first horse to claim the elusive Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, let's take a look at the updated weather forecast, latest odds and predictions for the Preakness.

Preakness Field and Odds

Post	Horse	Odds	Trainer	Jockey
1	American Pharoah	10-13	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza
2	Dortmund	9-2	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia
3	Mr. Z	33-1	D. Wayne Lukas	Corey Nakatani
4	Danzig Moon	20-1	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux
5	Tale of Verve	50-1	Dallas Stewart	Joel Rosario
6	Bodhisattva	40-1	Jose Corrales	Trevor McCarthy
7	Divining Rod	22-1	Arnaud Delacour	Javier Castellano
8	Firing Line	4-1	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens

All Preakness odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Weather Forecast

The weather for the 140th Preakness Stakes has fluctuated throughout the week. While afternoon thunderstorms seemed imminent in early forecasts, the outlook has recently shifted for the better. According to Weather.com, we should expect a high of 84 degrees with a 30 percent chance of an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon. Chances of a dry track appear likely.

Preakness Predictions

Finish	Horse
Win	American Pharoah
Place	Firing Line
Show	Dortmund
Fourth	Divining Rod

American Pharoah does it again. While he is still the odds-on favorite, much has been going against the colt in the days leading up to the Preakness. Drawing the No. 1 post position didn't help his chances—especially now that the the big-bodied Dortmund will be casting a shadow over him from the No. 2 gate.

Although, while starting against the rail may be an ominous task, it's one Pharoah can handle. Looking back at his Kentucky Derby performance is all one must do to realize he has what it takes to turn his starting position into an advantage.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

In the Derby, Pharoah broke nicely from the No. 16 gate and accelerated quickly, making up plenty of additional ground before settling into third position. If he's able to start in a similar fashion in the Preakness, he should be able to jolt to the front of the pack and utilize his position along the rail to his advantage, setting the pace and salvaging enough stamina to finish strong.

The only aspect Pharoah must overcome is his pre-race march to the gate. The colt isn't a big fan of crowds, and if he's rattled, he may not get the jump necessary to move to the front. Trainer Bob Baffert reflected on Pharoah's walk before the Derby during a press conference, via Melissa Hoppert of the New York Times:

Said Baffert, "The walkover for the Derby has gotten out of control. There's too many people. It was like walking your horse through Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve. And they were yelling and screaming and running next to him and taking pictures, so it got him a little stirred up."

Pharoah was able to shake it off and perform well at Churchill Downs, which bodes well for his Preakness run.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Firing Line is likely to give Pharoah a run for his money once again. He's in a great position in the No. 8 gate and will have plenty of strategic options at his disposal at the onset of the race. Trainer Simon Callaghan also thinks the shorter race will be an advantage to the colt.

Here's what he had to say during an interview with Preakness.com: "I like the way our horse is training. Everything's gone perfectly. I think that the race being a 1/16 of a mile shorter could potentially help us. We've got a good post and they have probably a tougher post, so I think there are a few factors that can help us turn the tables."

Still, Pharoah proved to be the better closer in the Derby, and there's no reason to think that will change at Pimlico.

A shorter distance may help Dortmund as well, as the big colt appeared to run out of gas down the final stretch of the Derby. Although, if he starts behind Pharoah early in the race, it isn't likely he'll overtake the favorite—who is a tremendous closing horse—at any point.

Rounding out the top four is Divining Rod. A newcomer to the Triple Crown, he's been inconsistent this year but recently put on a show in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes, winning by three lengths. Divining Line will likely remain in the mix after starting from the No. 7 post, but he's never participated in a race longer than 1 1/16 miles before, which will be a disadvantage at Pimlico.