2016 Preakness Stakes Odds: Nyquist Favored over Exaggerator for Saturday's Race

With less horses to beat in Saturday's Preakness Stakes field at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist stands as a heavy 5-8 betting favorite at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark to finish first in 2016's second Triple Crown race.

After winning the Derby from the lucky No. 13 post, Nyquist drew the No. 3 spot on Wednesday, the same position California Chrome won from two years ago

The last time Nyquist jockey Mario Gutierrez and trainer Doug O'Neill had the winner in the Preakness Stakes four years ago, I'll Have Another drew the No. 9 post and won by a neck.

Nyquist won the Derby by 1 1/4 lengths over second-place finisher Exaggerator, who is again listed as the 9-2 second choice at Pimlico.

Exaggerator joins Nyquist as two of the three horses that also ran at Churchill Downs on May 7. Lani is the other at 40-1 odds, with third-place Derby finisher Gun Runner sitting out the Preakness.

Exaggerator drew the No. 5 post, and bettors have seen another horse win from that position recently in Shackleford five years ago. With a 90 percent chance of rain forecast for Baltimore, Exaggerator might have the best shot at upsetting unbeaten Nyquist following a victory under similar sloppy conditions in the Santa Anita Derby.

Lani, the United Arab Emirates Derby winner, placed ninth in the Kentucky Derby and will start the Preakness from the No. 6 spot. Oxbow won from the same position three years ago, while the other top contender in the 11-horse field that did not race at Churchill is Stradivari at 9-1 odds.

Stradivari is making only his fourth career start and is coming off a 14 1/2-length win at Keeneland in April. Unfortunately, he will begin from the No. 11 post, where a horse has not won from since 2001 (Point Given).

Nyquist is attempting to put himself into position to become the 13th Triple Crown winner following American Pharoah last year. It would not be unheard of to have back-to-back Triple Crown winners considering the previous two before American Pharoah won in consecutive years (Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978).

Nyquist's odds to win the Triple Crown are 5/2 compared to 1/4 that he does not accomplish the feat.