Preakness 2016 Contenders: Race-Day Picks for Top Horses and Jockeys
A reduced field will compete for glory at the 2016 Preakness Stakes on Saturday as a host of contenders save their energy for next month's Belmont Stakes, but tensions will nonetheless be high at Pimlico Race Course.
Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist unsurprisingly isn't one of those taking a rest, as he continues his search for one of the most prestigious titles in horse racing, with Exaggerator his closest competition.
The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans has only 11 contenders remaining in the hunt for Preakness glory this year, a turnout that could improve Nyquist's chances of retaining his unbeaten race record.
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We profile some of the top picks to succeed at Pimlico on Saturday, with favourites and dark horses alike in the running to win over the 1 3/16-mile distance.
| 3 | Nyquist | -175 | 4/7 |
| 5 | Exaggerator | +375 | 15/4 |
| 11 | Stradivari | +800 | 8/1 |
| 7 | Collected | +1600 | 16/1 |
| 1 | Cherry Wine | +2500 | 25/1 |
| 2 | Uncle Lino | +3300 | 33/1 |
| 4 | Awesome Speed | +3300 | 33/1 |
| 10 | Fellowship | +4000 | 40/1 |
| 9 | Abiding Star | +4000 | 40/1 |
| 6 | Lani | +4000 | 40/1 |
| 8 | Laoban | +4000 | 40/1 |
All odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Collected Relying on Baffert Wisdom
Fourth down the pecking order in the odds comes Collected, who, despite not being present at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, enters the Preakness Stakes with a better chance than most of the runners out there.
And jockey Javier Castellano will be hoping the knowledge of trainer Bob Baffert will have a dramatic impact in turning the odds in their favour, with few figures out there experienced at Pimlico under these conditions.
In fact, only one trainer has won more Preakness titles than Baffert's six—Robert Wyndham Walden (seven)—and Baffert told broadcaster TVG he's expecting big things from Collected:
It was Castellano who rode the three-year-old to the most recent of its two career victories—the colt has only competed three times—and Baffert has opted to not break up that dynamic duo for the trip to Pimlico.
At 16-1, Collected could be seen as an appetising pick to go on and cause an upset, having become accustomed to winning in the one-mile and 1 1/8-mile races in its last two outings.
Nyquist's Gallop Too Hot to Stop
For all the attention certain underdogs are garnering in the buildup to Saturday's showdown, Nyquist is the undeniable one to beat, and Mario Gutierrez is the jockey hoping to ride him to glory once more in Baltimore.
Gutierrez already has one Preakness crown to his name after winning the 2012 edition, and he told Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union he's ready to clinch another Pimlico title this year:
After riding Nyquist to victory in Kentucky earlier in the month, the pressure is on to ensure the Triple Crown quest endures, but the horse himself is airing a confident attitude prior to Saturday's race:
"Again you Humans and my bath time, never understand it. The crowd this morning. #Nyquist pic.twitter.com/NEO4dbmlXV
— TheNyquist (@TheNyquistHorse) May 20, 2016"
One particularly promising precursor for undefeated Nyquist and trainer Doug O'Neill is that Gutierrez also happened to win the Kentucky Derby in 2012 before he claimed the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
Four years later, and the jockey has another shot at completing the set, with the finest horse in vision looking to help him gain some closure.
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