Preakness 2019 Post Time: Race Schedule, Post Positions Info and Prediction

The Preakness is the middle child of horse racing's Triple Crown races and tends to get overlooked.

In years when the Triple Crown is a possibility, it's the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes that command the bulk of the headlines.

There is no possibility for a Triple Crown this year because Kentucky Derby winner Country House opted out of Saturday's race as a result of illness.

However, the Preakness can stand on its own.

It is a race in which tactics and strategy can pay off for a competitive horse with a shrewd jockey and a sharp trainer. The 1 3/16-mile race features the tight turns of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and the shorter stretch run.

Many believe stretch-runners are at a disadvantage at Pimlico, but a come-from-behind runner can win there. It is usually best for those horses to begin their move before hitting the top of the stretch, and that's quite a bit different than Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and many other tracks around the country.

Improbable, who was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby and ended up finishing fourth, is the early 5-2 favorite in the race. He will be ridden by Mike Smith, is trained by Bob Baffert and starts from the No. 4 post position.

Here's how the full field will line up for the Preakness, which is scheduled for 6:48 p.m. ET Saturday and will be televised by NBC.

Post Position, Horse, Morning line (per Preakness Stakes)

1. War of Will, 4-1
2. Bourbon War, 12-1
3. Warrior's Charge, 12-1
4. Improbable, 5-2
5. Owendale, 10-1
6. Market King, 30-1
7. Alwaysmining, 8-1
8. Signalman, 30-1
9. Bodexpress, 20-1
10. Everfast, 50-1
11. Laughing Fox, 20-1
12. Anothertwistafate, 6-1
13. Win Win Win, 15-1

Improbable has the credentials to win this race because Baffert is clearly one of the best trainers in the world and Smith is one of the sport's elite riders. 

The colt has three victories and two second-place finishes among his six lifetime races, and his fourth-place Derby finish is the only time he has finished out of the money in his career.

Improbable likes to run from just off the pace, and he should have every chance to do that at the Preakness. The big question, though, is whether he will last the distance on Saturday or fade in the final strides.

War of Will will take off from the No. 1 post position, and while that is usually problematic in the huge Kentucky Derby field, it is not as big an issue at the Preakness.

While the 13-horse field is bigger than many recent editions of the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans, it should not be so crowded that he can't get out of the gate and establish his position.

If War of Will can run without impediment—something that didn't happen in the Kentucky Derby when Maximum Security angled into his running lane and was ultimately disqualified—he should have an excellent chance of competing for the title.

Bourbon War is a strong come-from-behind runner, and this race could set up quite well for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

The Preakness appears to be a race with a lot of speed horses, and that will give the 26-year-old rider the opportunity to position his horse smartly in the early part of the race and then turn it on in the last quarter-mile.

Alwaysmining is a Maryland-bred horse who comes into the Preakness with seven career wins and six victories in a row.

He has been very successful in stakes races, but he has not performed in graded stakes races. As a result, there is a question about how he will run against a significant upgrade in competition.

If 37-year-old jockey Daniel Centeno, making his first Preakness start, can stalk the pace without burning out, Alwaysmining could be a major factor in Baltimore.

Prediction

1. Improbable

2. Bourbon War

3. Alwaysmining

4. War of Will