Preakness 2020: Top Contenders and Unheralded Horses in Lineup Field

Authentic and Art Collector could be in line for a head-to-head showdown at the Preakness Stakes one month after their first Triple Crown showdown was postponed. 

Authentic comes into Pimlico Race Course off a win at the Kentucky Derby, where Art Collector was scratched due to a minor injury.

The two best competitors in the 11-horse field will begin the race on opposite ends of the starting grid, but they could meet up down the track in the hunt for the final Triple Crown win of 2020.

Authentic and Art Collector appear to be in good positions to claim the Preakness crown since four of the last five winners have had pre-race odds of 10-1 or lower. 

That could be a bad sign for the lesser-known three-year-old thoroughbreds looking to earn a surprise victory, but there is a good chance of a long shot finishing in the top three.

In the last five Preakness Stakes, eight horses with odds of 12-1 or longer have placed in the top three.

Preakness Stakes Post Positions and Odds

Top Contenders

Authentic (9-5)

Bob Baffert has a good chance to claim his eighth Preakness title as a trainer and third since 2015 with Authentic. 

Authentic made a case to be considered as the best three-year-old horse at the Kentucky Derby when he outlasted Tiz the Law to end the Triple Crown bid of the Belmont Stakes champion.

The Preakness favorite made trips to the winner's circle in five of his last six starts. The other finishing position in that span was second at the Santa Anita Derby behind Honor A.P. 

During that stretch, Authentic has proved he can win at any distance and against the strongest of fields. 

Before he triumphed at Churchill Downs, Authentic ran to first place at the Haskell Stakes in front of Ny Traffic and Dr Post. 

Since he has some of the most consistent stats in the field, Authentic has to be given strong consideration as your betting pick to win Saturday.

Art Collector (5-2)

Art Collector was supposed to challenge Tiz the Law and Authentic, but he was withdrawn in the week building up to the Kentucky Derby.

With him back in the field for the Preakness, we should get a showdown between two top horses, which sometimes does not happen in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

There have been some instances at the Belmont Stakes in which some of the top horses do not enter the field because the Triple Crown hunt is over.

In 2019, only one of the top five horses from the Kentucky Derby and two of the top five finishers from the Preakness competed in the final leg of the Triple Crown. 

Art Collector comes into Pimlico on a five-race winning streak. His last two victories occurred at the Ellis Park Derby and Blue Grass Stakes against Triple Crown competition. 

The performances in those two races could be the best indicators for what we will see out of Art Collector Saturday. 

Art Collector's inside post position may allow him to surge past a few long shots to gain position on the rail and push to the front while Authentic comes in from the outside. 

If that occurs, we could get a thrilling head-to-head battle that completes the Triple Crown circuit.

Unheralded Horses

Excession (30-1)

Excession likely will not receive much pre-race attention since he has not raced since March.

His long list of mixed results does not warrant much hype as a potential long-shot winner either. 

However, it is worth pointing out Excession finished second to Nadal in his last race at the Rebel Stakes. 

Before Nadal suffered an injury in the buildup to the Belmont Stakes, he was considered one of the favorites to make a run at the Triple Crown.

Even though Excession did not beat Nadal, the performance is worth keeping in the back of your mind if you are looking for a 30-1 long shot to attach your money to. 

Excession starts in a favorable spot in Post 1, which has produced two winners and a second-place finisher in the last five Preakness Stakes. 

If he can ride the inside and follow the path of Art Collector to the front, Excession might sneak into a top-three finish.

Ny Traffic (15-1)

A disappointing eighth-place Kentucky Derby finish from Ny Traffic should shuffle him near the bottom of the conversation when it comes to potential Preakness winners. 

The run at Churchill Downs came off as shocking since Ny Traffic landed three consecutive second-place finishes before the September 5 race.

In July, Ny Traffic took second place behind Authentic at the Haskell Stakes, which is why he had high expectations going into the Kentucky Derby.

Since he sits at one of the longest prices on the odds board, Ny Traffic may be worth a wager to win or finish in a trifecta or superfecta bet because he has a string of results to back up that logic. 

However, there could also be concern about his ability to adapt to Triple Crown fields, which may make him a surprising winner if he reverses that result in Maryland.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from HorseRacingNation.com.