Preakness 2020: Updated Predictions, Betting Lines and Post Time

The Preakness Stakes serves as the conclusion to the Triple Crown circuit for the first time in its history. 

Although there is no Triple Crown contender in the field, Saturday's race at Pimlico Race Course could be the most competitive of the three legs. 

Tiz the Law opened the Triple Crown hunt with a dominant win at the Belmont Stakes, and Authentic stole the show at the Kentucky Derby by holding off Tiz the Law by a few lengths. 

Authentic is listed as the favorite to win the Preakness, but there are a few other contenders, including Art Collector, Swiss Skydiver and Thousand Words that could give us three different Triple Crown race winners in 2020.

The 11-horse field is scheduled to leave the posts at 5:45 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC. 

Preakness Stakes Lineup and Odds

Predictions

1. Art Collector

2. Authentic

3. Max Player

4. Thousand Words

5. Ny Traffic

6. Swiss Skydiver

7. Mr. Big News

8. Pneumatic

9. Excession

10. Liveyourbeastlife

11. Jesus' Team 

Authentic comes into the Preakness with the most notable victory of any horse in the field, but he does not have the longest winning run of the 11 competitors. 

That belongs to Art Collector, who has five consecutive first-place finishes dating back to November 2019. 

Art Collector was supposed to be a challenger to Tiz the Law at Churchill Downs, but he was scratched because of a minor injury. He captured his last two victories at the Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby, both of which were 1 1/8-mile races. 

The second favorite for the Preakness finished those two races in near identical times of one minute and 48 seconds. 

If Art Collector remains on that pace for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, he could be either in front of, or neck-and-neck with Authentic in the closing stages. 

Authentic ran the Kentucky Derby's 1 1/4-mile course in two minutes and 61-hundredths of a second. 

In the two 1 1/8-mile races prior to September's Triple Crown race, Authentic ran at a slightly slower pace at the Haskell Stakes and Santa Anita Derby than Art Collector did in his pair of tune-ups. 

If the speed of the two contenders carries over to Saturday, Art Collector could finish with the slightest of edges. 

Authentic is one of four horses to carry over from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness. Max Player, Mr. Big News and Ny Traffic are the other three.

Mr. Big News and Max Player took third and fifth, respectively, so they could be the best long-shot contenders to cross the finish line first. 

Max Player is also in possession of a third-place mark at the Belmont and Travers Stakes. He could bank on that form to land another high finish at the Preakness. 

Thousand Words sits in a similar position as Art Collector as a potential Derby contender that did not compete. He was scratched after reacting negatively to the pre-race festivities and fell over on his hind legs.

The colt produced a first- and second-place finish in his two races prior to the Kentucky Derby and could be one to watch for a top-four place behind Authentic and Art Collector.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from HorseRacingNation.com.