Preakness 2016: Updated Weather Forecast, Odds and Field Predictions

Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist heads into the 2016 Preakness Stakes on Saturday as the favorite to capture the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The undefeated colt faces a group of 10 challengers, led by Derby runner-up Exaggerator.

New shooters Stradivari and Collected are also among the challengers hoping to play the role of spoiler at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore. Horses that come in fresh after not taking part in the Run for the Roses are always dangerous as endurance becomes a key factor.

Let's check out the entire field for the 141st running of the Preakness. That's followed by a look at the weather forecast and a race prediction.

Preakness Stakes Field

Post	Horse	Jockey	Odds
1	Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	25-1
2	Uncle Lino	Fernando Perez	33-1
3	Nyquist	Mario Gutierrez	4-7
4	Awesome Speed	Jevian Toledo	33-1
5	Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	15-4
6	Lani	Yutaka Take	40-1
7	Collected	Javier Castellano	16-1
8	Laoban	Florent Geroux	40-1
9	Abiding Star	J.D. Acosta	40-1
10	Fellowship	Jose Lezcano	40-1
11	Stradivari	John Velazquez	8-1

Weather Forecast

The Weather Channel is forecasting a soggy Saturday in Baltimore. It would appear there's a strong chance the showers hang around for the Preakness itself, with a 65 percent chance of rain at 6 p.m. and a 75 percent chance at 7 p.m. The race is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. local time.

Race Preview

It's hard to believe horse racing could see a second consecutive Triple Crown winner after American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015. But Nyquist has felt like a special horse for a while now and nothing happened in the Kentucky Derby to change that overwhelmingly positive outlook.

He's now emerged victorious in all eight of his career starts. His triumph at Churchill Downs, Kentucky, was merely the latest example of him not being seriously challenged down the stretch. A late rally by Exaggerator made the winning margin just 1 1/4 lengths, but Nyquist wasn't going all out at the end.

There are always questions about how the Derby returnees will handle the short layoff. There's been no sense of concern from the favorite's connections, and he's looked primed for another strong outing during his workouts, as illustrated by Maryland Horse Radio:

Exaggerator has failed to take down Nyquist in four previous attempts. There's reason for optimism after the Kentucky Derby, though. He overcame a frustrating start to take second and, like Nyquist, he seemed to have more left to give at the finish.

Getting a clean break and settling in closer to the lead should be easier with the smaller field. Though trainer Keith Desormeaux understands the challenge, he believes the race's second choice has the tools to pull off the upset, per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun.

"Obviously, numbers-wise, horse-for-horse-wise, it's tough to think we can beat him, right?" Desormeaux said. "But…the strongest attribute that Exaggerator has is his ability to recover, and as you know, this Preakness is run back in two weeks. That's not normal in this day and age, to run a horse back that quickly."

The remaining contenders, led by Stradivari and Collected, would need absolutely perfect trips in order to end up in the winner's circle. Nyquist has been highly reliable throughout his career, so banking on a bad day from him is unlikely.

Uncle Lino is the most intriguing horse from the long-shot brigade. Although he scored just a single win over his first six career starts, he's coming off a tremendous performance to capture the California Chrome Stakes last month.

Now, it's no guarantee he'll be able to back up that outing with a similar career-best effort, and that's what it would probably take to beat Nyquist and Exaggerator. But in a race with a limited number of threats, he can't be counted out.

Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form thinks drawing the No. 2 post may doom Uncle Lino, though:

All told, this is a race Nyquist should win, regardless of the weather. He's proved slightly better than Exaggerator in their prior head-to-head meetings, and every other Preakness contender would need an ideal trip to even make it close, let alone win.

Expect a competitive race, especially if the rain slows the track down, but they will all be dealing with the same conditions. That makes it tough to pick against the best horse: Nyquist.

Predictions: 1. Nyquist 2. Exaggerator 3. Uncle Lino