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Preakness 2021 Horses: Entry List, Vegas Odds and Dark-Horse Favorites
May 10, 2021
While Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit wasn't quite a dark horse, the Bob Baffert-trained colt was a bit of a surprise after closing with 15-1 odds. Another surprise could be looming as the racing world prepares for this Saturday's Preakness.
Medina Spirit tested positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone following the Derby and could have his victory vacated.
"To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit's results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner," Churchill Downs said in a statement, per ESPN.
Churchill Downs also suspended Baffert, who has denied wrongdoing and still plans to run Medina Spirit at the Preakness.
Mandaloun and Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality won't run in Saturday's race. Neither will Caddo River, as all three Brad Cox-trained horses will skip the event.
This leaves Medina Spirit and another Baffert horse, Concert Tour, as the current betting favorites.
2021 Preakness
When: Saturday, May 15
Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore
TV and Live Stream: NBC and NBCSports.com
Post Time: 5:45 p.m. ET
Latest Odds
Medina Spirit 7-5
Concert Tour 2-1
Crowded Trade 6-1
Midnight Bourbon 10-1
Rombauer 12-1
Risk Taking 15-1
Unbridled Honor 15-1
Keepmeinmind 20-1
France Go de Ina 30-1
Ram 50-1
*Odds via VegasInsider.com
As far as dark horses go, two stand out as options to consider.
Rombauer is in the middle of the pack in terms of odds and perhaps not a true dark horse, though still a long shot. Despite the colt having enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, owner John Fradkin decided to instead focus on the Preakness and the Belmont.
Before finishing third in last month's Blue Grass Stakes, Rombauer finished first at the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Rombauer has two first-place finishes, a second-place finish and a third-place run in six career starts.
Keepmeinmind is a more traditional dark horse at 20-1 but is worth considering after a seventh-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. As of now, Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon are the only two horses in the Preakness field to finish ahead of Keepmeinmind in the Derby—and there's still a chance that Medina Spirit could be pulled.
According to Dakin Andone, Kevin Dotson, Cesar Marin and Kelly McCleary of CNN, Medina Spirit's immediate future could be in doubt:
"Organizers said they will 'review the relevant facts and information' related to Medina Spirit's positive blood test and are consulting with the Maryland Racing Commission on any decision regarding the horse's entry in the Preakness Stakes."
Keepmeinmind only finished fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes before competing in the Kentucky Derby but did have a first-place finish at the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in November.