Preakness Odds 2016: Examining Lines, Payouts for Field at Pimlico

The 141st running of the Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and all eyes are on Nyquist as he looks to take the second jewel of the Triple Crown after a victorious run in the Kentucky Derby.

Nyquist is heavily favored to move to 9-0 on his career, but 10 other horses have a chance to play spoiler. Most aren't expected to even be a factor; however, upsets aren't uncommon in horse racing, and any number of factors could prevent Nyquist from having an ideal ride.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Run for the Black-Eyed Susans, here is a rundown of the betting odds for all 11 horses, as well as a closer look at some underdogs who could potentially crash the Triple Crown party.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	Dale Romans	25-1
2	Uncle Lino	Fernando Perez	Gary Sherlock	33-1
3	Nyquist	Mario Gutierrez	Doug O'Neill	4-7
4	Awesome Speed	Jevian Toledo	Alan Goldberg	33-1
5	Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	Keith Desormeaux	15-4
6	Lani	Yutaka Take	Mikio Matsunaga	40-1
7	Collected	Javier Castellano	Bob Baffert	16-1
8	Laoban	Florent Geroux	Eric Guillot	40-1
9	Abiding Star	J.D. Acosta	Ned Allar	40-1
10	Fellowship	Jose Lezcano	Mark Casse	40-1
11	Stradivari	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	8-1

Underdogs to Watch

Collected

The odds suggest that Nyquist, Exaggerator and Stradivari are clearly considered the top three contenders in the Preakness, but one horse worth keeping an eye on is the Bob Baffert-trained Collected.

Although the talented colt didn't run in the Kentucky Derby, he enters the Preakness in fine form, having won consecutive races, including the Lexington Stakes.

While Baffert hasn't had a ton of success in the Preakness with horses who did not compete in the Derby, he told TVG that he feels good about what Collected brings to the table:

Baffert also acknowledged Nyquist's greatness and is aware of the likelihood that he and Collected will need some breaks in order to pull off the upset, according to Mike Farrell of NBCNewYork.com: "He's going to be tough to beat. The only way we can beat him is either he doesn't bring his 'A' game or there's some racing luck."

While Collected is somewhat under the radar, he is bolstered by a dream team. Baffert is a six-time Preakness winner, while jockey Javier Castellano won the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans in 2006.

That is among the strongest combinations in the field, and it gives Collected at least an outside shot to make some noise and potentially challenge Nyquist.

Lani

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Japanese colt Lani was among the Kentucky Derby's biggest wild cards, and even though he struggled to a ninth-place finish, he is back in the fold for the middle leg of the Triple Crown.

Lani set himself apart from the rest of the field at Churchill Downs with his wild demeanor, as described by Melissa Hoppert of the New York Times:

He was often seen bucking around and was difficult to get under control at times, but Keita Tanaka, the agent for owner Koji Maeda, said that Lani has been calmer and more relaxed at Pimlico Race Course thus far, according to David Ginsburg of the Associated Press: "He likes the barn and the track since arriving here, so the training is on plan. He's been better behaved since he's been here."

The unpredictability of Lani is something that could work in his favor. Although it is tough to pinpoint how he'll act from one day to the next, his talent is undeniable.

It was on full display in the United Arab Emirates Derby in March, which is a race he won as a tuneup for the Kentucky Derby.

Lani got shuffled back early in the Derby and was never a factor, but he did make a strong, late run to finish in the upper half of the field. If jockey Yutaka Take gets a better break out of the gates this time, he could find his way into the money.

Uncle Lino

Early speed can change the game in horse racing, and Uncle Lino may be a key factor in that regard at the Preakness Stakes.

The Gary Sherlock-trained colt excels at taking the early lead and setting the pace, and although he'll have company in that regard at Pimlico Race Course, he has a chance to dictate things and be near the front of the field in the latter stages.

Uncle Lino didn't run in the Kentucky Derby, but he was victorious in his last race, which was a strong performance in the California Chrome Stakes.

He competed in the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe Stakes before that, so he has plenty of experience in big-time races against elite horses.

Uncle Lino finished third in the Santa Anita despite not being in ideal form, and Sherlock expects a good result at Pimlico as well, according to John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times. 

"I always knew he just wasn't mentally there [going into the Santa Anita Derby]," Sherlock said. "He was kind of losing it when he was saddled. He was just like a little kid, too excited and wanted to go. ... If we don't hit the board [and finish first, second or third], I'll be disappointed."

The field is fairly wide-open aside from Nyquist, and if Uncle Lino does find his way to the front in the early going, he could very well finish in the money.

It is difficult to envision him outlasting Nyquist, but if something goes wrong for the Kentucky Derby winner, perhaps Uncle Lino will be the beneficiary. 

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