Preakness 2020: Post Time, Post Positions and Full TV Coverage Info

It's taken longer to get here than usual, but the day of the final Triple Crown horse race of 2020 has arrived. But instead of the Belmont Stakes wrapping things up, it's the Preakness Stakes concluding the three-race slate.

This year's Preakness is set to take place Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore with no fans in attendance, just like the Belmont in June and the Kentucky Derby last month. There's also not a Triple Crown on the line, as Tiz the Law won the Belmont but was then defeated by Authentic at the Derby.

Authentic can't win the Triple Crown, but he will be looking to notch another impressive victory. He enters as the favorite in this year's strong 11-horse field.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Saturday's race.

2020 Preakness Information

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3

Post Time: 5:40 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Post Positions and Odds

1. Excession 33-1

2. Mr. Big News 16-1

3. Art Collector 5-2

4. Swiss Skydiver 8-1

5. Thousand Words 8-1

6. Jesus' Team 50-1

7. Ny Traffic 16-1

8. Max Player 16-1

9. Authentic 6-4

10. Pneumatic 20-1

11. Liveyourbeastlife 40-1

Odds via Oddschecker.

Preview

Bob Baffert has trained many talented horses over the years. That's why he's a six-time Kentucky Derby winner, a seven-time Preakness winner, a three-time Belmont winner and a two-time Triple Crown winner (with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018). So it's never a surprise when he makes history.

That's what happened last month at the Kentucky Derby when Authentic's victory made Baffert a six-time Derby winner, tying the all-time mark held by Ben Jones. Although Tiz the Law was the favorite to win, Authentic led the race wire-to-wire in an impressive showing to earn the victory and help Baffert tie that record.

Authentic now has the chance to help Baffert make more history. Baffert's seven Preakness victories are tied with R. Wyndham Walden for the most in the history of the race, which has been run 144 times dating back to 1873.

Baffert has two horses in the Preakness field, as he'll also have Thousand Words in the race. Thousand Words was a late scratch from the Kentucky Derby after he reared and fell over in the paddock area shortly before the race, but he's ready to go for Saturday's race.

While Authentic is the favorite to win, Thousand Words is tied for the third-best odds in the field. So they both could end up being contenders at the finish.

"Both horses are doing fine. They both look good out here," Baffert said in a press release. "This track is so soft. You just don't hear them. I've always loved this surface here. They are both training well. There are no excuses."

However, there are some other horses in the field that could potentially beat Baffert's duo.

Art Collector enters the race with the second-best odds as he competes in his first Triple Crown race. He was supposed to race the Kentucky Derby, but he was a late scratch because of a minor foot injury. Before that, he had won five straight races, which included the Blue Grass Stakes on July 11 and the Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9.

Another top contender could be Swiss Skydiver, who will look to become the sixth filly to win the Preakness and the first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Swiss Skydiver is coming off a second-place finish at the Kentucky Oaks last month, and she also finished second when going up against male horses at the Blue Grass Stakes in July.

But for either of these horses (or the ones with worse odds) to win Saturday, they'll have to beat Authentic, who could be poised for a second consecutive strong showing. But don't be surprised if it's a competitive race right up until the finish.