Preakness 2018: Projected Prize-Money Earnings, Order of Finish and More

One of the biggest prize purses in American horse racing will be up for grabs this Saturday, as projected favourite Justify leads a field of eight contesting for the 2018 Preakness Stakes.

Justify travels to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore as the major front-runner to follow up his win at the Kentucky Derby with victory in the second portion of the Triple Crown.

Scott Ross of NBC Connecticut reported a $1.5 million prize money purse will be on offer to the top finishers at this year's race, identical to last year, when winner Cloud Computing took home a $900,000 chunk.

The Preakness Stakes is used to hosting a smaller field in comparison with the Run for the Roses, and among those tipped to battle Justify hardest for top spot are the likes of Good magic and Quip.

Read on for a preview of Saturday's race, along with odds (correct as of Friday, May 19) and a projected order of finish for the top places.

2018 Preakness Stakes Odds

Justify: -225

Good Magic: +325

Quip: +1400

Bravazo: +1800

Diamond King: +2000

Lone Sailor: +2000

Tenfold: +3000

Sporting Chance: +4000

Odds are provided courtesy of OddsShark.

Race Projections

• 1. Justify—$900,000
• 2. Good Magic—$300,000
• 3. Bravazo—$165,000
• 4. Tenfold—$90,000
• 5. Quip—$45,000

Preview

Eight runners in the field for Saturday make this the joint-smallest Preakness Stakes line-up since 2000 after American Pharoah emerged victorious among an identically sized pack in 2015.

And like American Pharoah, another of trainer Bob Baffert's stars, Justify is likely to benefit from the exposed field as OddsShark's Mike Dempsey broke down some of the statistics heading into the 2018 showdown:

Claudia Lorena of Thoroughbred Today provided a look at the top-billed entry two days out from Saturday's big event in Maryland, with Baffert's poster child fitting the champion bill in terms of looks:

The conditions at this year's Kentucky Derby were a lot wetter than many expected, but all that did was offer Justify a chance to prove himself as elite in a more adverse setting, triumphing in relative comfort.

The WinStar stables illustrated just how sloppy the Pimlico Race Course track has looked in recent days, although that should suit the favourite given he's already proved himself to be dangerous on wet terrain:

Regarding form and prior experience coming to Pimlico, the only other horse who looks capable of contesting Justify for the Preakness win is Good Magic (3-1), who also the only other entry with odds in the single digits.

Even then, it was a lung-busting run to hack down Justify's lead in Kentucky, and track announcer Travis Stone picked out another contender, Bravazo, to surprise:

Jockey Luis Saez faces a tough script in attempting to get Bravazo in early enough to have a chance, because any late push will leave him at risk of seeing nothing but Justify's rear for the remainder.

Good Magic rider Jose Ortiz has never won the Preakness Stakes but will hope a post position in fifth, just two inside Justify, will be enough to turn the odds, although the Kentucky winner's imperious form suggests it will not.