Preakness 2015: Final Vegas Betting Odds, Race Predictions and More

Is Saturday evening the sort of night we'll someday remember fondly, as we muse about American Pharoah, the fantastic horse who ended horse racing's Triple Crown drought? 

Or will it be another forgettable Preakness as yet another Kentucky Derby winner fails to make it to the Belmont Stakes with a shot at the elusive feat?

With only a field of eight at this year's event, fortune could favor American Pharoah in his quest to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. Here's a look at the field and my predictions for the race:

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

There are plenty of reasons to favor American Pharoah. He's a smart, athletic, versatile horse who ran wide at the Derby and still took home the win (though Dortmund did set a pretty lethargic pace early on). He has the top speed to lead wire to wire, he seems most comfortable stalking and he has a powerful enough kick to come on strong at the end, making him ideal for any length of track or style of race. 

Pharoah is the trainee of the legendary Bob Baffert  and will be ridden by veteran jockey Victor Espinoza. Few horses have even resembled his peer in his short career, though Firing Line certainly gave him a run for his money at the Derby. 

Even his position on the innermost post is mitigated by the small field. Yes, he'll have to break hard and fast, but at a race like the Preakness, that's essential no matter where a horse is placed. 

Of course, Baffert quite literally has more than one horse in this race, as he reminded Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe:

"

I’m here to try and win the Preakness. That’s my No. 1 goal, whether it’s Dortmund or American Pharoah.

I know everybody puts all their weight on the Triple Crown: ‘We need it, horse racing needs it.’ Hey, we need to put on a good show when we come to these races, that’s what it’s all about. 

The Derby was a great show. I think the fans are going to get a great show on Saturday.

"

Most fans would agree, though, the show is going to come from seeing whether American Pharoah can come closer to making history. The Preakness could be the greatest race the world has ever seen, but if Pharoah comes up short, it will be regarded by many as a disappointment. 

Such is the pressure the horse racing world is putting on the shoulders of Pharoah. If he can win two more races, however, American Pharoah will secure his place as royalty in the sport.