Preakness 2018: Prize Money Purse, Latest Vegas Odds Payouts and More

Justify has a chance to get one step closer to etching his name in the annals of thoroughbred racing history.

The three-year-old colt with the swagger, speed, power and sensational red coat showed off in winning the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.

If he can continue his undefeated roll Saturday at the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, he will be one step away from winning thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

That would occur if Justify can also win the Belmont Stakes in early June.

However, his task at hand is defeating seven other competitors in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

Rain and a wet racetrack are once again expected for the second leg of the Triple Crown. The Weather Channel's forecast calls for nonstop rain through the end of Friday and also throughout race day.

That did not prove to be a problem in the Run for the Roses, as Justify broke quickly from the gate and got close to the lead throughout the first half of the race. Once jockey Mike Smith made his move to the front, none of the other competitors were able to stay with him.

If Justify follows the same game plan, he has an excellent chance of heading to the winner's circle and bringing home the lion's share of the money.

The purse for the second jewel of the Triple Crown is a robust $1.5 million, and the payoffs break down to $900,000 going to the winner, $300,000 to the second-place finisher, $165,000 for the third-place horse, $90,000 for fourth and $45,000 for fifth place, according to TopBet. 

Those are the same payoffs in the 2017 Preakness.

Good Magic ran a strong race in finishing second to Justify in the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Chad Brown, Good Magic should challenge Justify once again in Baltimore. Justify is the odds-on favorite to win, according to OddsShark, while Good Magic is the second choice. 

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Preakness Stakes Horses, Jockeys, Odds and Win-Bet Payouts

(All payouts are based on $2 win bets at morning-line odds)

1. Quip (Florent Geroux): +1400, $30

2. Lone Sailor (Irad Ortiz): +2000, $42

3. Sporting Chance (Luis Contreras) +4000, $82

4. Diamond King (Javier Castellano): +2000, $42

5. Good Magic (Jose Ortiz): +325, $8.50

6. Tenfold (Ricardo Santana Jr.): +3300, $68

7. Justify (Mike Smith): -225, $2.80

8. Bravazo (Luis Saez): +1800, $38

Justify is starting from the No. 7 post position, the same spot in the gates that he was in at Churchill Downs.

A fast start was considered essential in that race because trainer Bob Baffert wanted to avoid having his horse get caught up in the traffic that comes with a 20-horse field.

That has been a successful running style for Justify, but since the field is smaller, it is not quite as vital in the Preakness. However, the Pimlico Race Course track features tighter angled turns and a shorter stretch run than Churchill Downs in Louisville, so it is usually best for horses to be somewhat closer to the lead.

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Good Magic also stayed relatively close to the front in the Kentucky Derby, and he was never worse than fifth at any of the points of call. 

If Brown wants to keep his horse close to the front again, he could engage Justify earlier in the race and possibly take a lead at some point.

Quip, who breaks from the No. 1 post position, also likes to run early and get close to the lead. The makeup of the field could lead to a speed duel that could tire out the participants.

However, Justify's strength and power could provide the difference. He has shown no signs of fatigue in any of his four races, and the Preakness is 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby.

Veteran trainer D. Wayne Lukas believes that Justify has more ability than any other horse in the field, including his Preakness competitors Bravazo and Sporting Chance. 

"He's the best horse," Lukas said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (h/t Minneapolis Star Tribune). "He looks terrific, he's doing well. I watched him all week. He's going to be very, very hard to handle."

Great horses have been beaten in big races before. But it seems clear that it will take a monumental effort to beat a potentially legendary champion.