Country House and Flavien Prat: Odds, Predictions for Triple Crown and Preakness

After winning the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, the question now is whether Country House can keep it going for the rest of the Triple Crown.

According to Bovada (via The Number 55), Country House's odds to win the Preakness Stakes are +650, meaning a $100 bet wins $650. He has 20-1 odds to win the Triple Crown.

These relatively long odds aren't a surprise considering the drama that took place Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The Kentucky Derby was filled with controversy, with Maximum Security appearing to be the winner until a review disqualified the first horse to cross the line:

This left Flavien Prat-ridden Country House as the winner.

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, this was a surprise based on his incoming odds:

This doesn't bode well for the horse's chances of winning either of the next two Triple Crown races.

While Country House's 20-1 Triple Crown odds suggest it's unlikely to happen, it's still a positive improvement from the odds coming into the day:

We have already seen one major upset, so why not more?

Winning the Triple Crown was seen as near impossible for decades, but American Pharoah and Justify turned this view around after each accomplished the feat in a span of four years. 

The Preakness will be the easier of the two remaining races for Country House to win.

Perhaps most importantly, the field will be much smaller compared to the 19 horses from Saturday. There were only eight horses racing at Pimlico last year, and there will likely be a similar-sized field this time around.

Although the lineup isn't set, we also know at least one top contender won't be available.

Omaha Beach, the initial favorite for the Kentucky Derby before being scratched with a entrapped epiglottis, won't compete in the Preakness, either, per Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

This means even if there are new horses in contention, few will have the resume necessary to scare Country House after Saturday's win.

Considering 11 horses have won each of the first two legs of the Triple Crown since 1997, the Kentucky Derby champ has a strong chance of being in the winner's circle again on May 18.

Still, it took some luck to get the first win. The horse only had one victory in his first six career races and was overmatched for the most part in the Kentucky Derby by Maximum Security.

Without a sloppy track and a disqualification, there is a chance this would have been a much different race.

Depending on the field, it could be a serious challenge for Country House to go into the Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown still on the line.