The Preakness Stakes is one of the most important horse races of the year, and you are in the right place for expert 2021 Preakness Stakes Picks and betting advice.
The 2021 Preakness will be run on Saturday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. The race covers 1 3/16 miles on the dirt, and a field of 10 top three-year-old horses will square off for a share of the $1 million purse as well as the iconic blanket of Black-Eyed Susans. This race is slated to start at 6:47pm EDT, or 3:47pm PDT.
The 2021 Preakness field, with Preakness trainers and jockeys as well as official morning lines, is as follows:
Though those are the published morning lines, morning lines are merely a best guess as to how race-day betting will go. These are the Vegas odds at the top online sportsbooks. If you bet the Preakness online through one of these sportsbooks, you get the advantage of knowing your odds and being able to lock in the best price.
| Horse |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medina Spirit | +185 | TBA | +180 |
| Concert Tour | +200 | TBA | +250 |
| Midnight Bourbon | +500 | TBA | +500 |
| Crowded Trade | +800 | TBA | +1000 |
| Risk Taking | +1200 | TBA | +1500 |
| Rombauer | +1200 | TBA | +1200 |
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Assuming he passes his pre-race drug test, Medina Spirit will be the favorite in the 2021 Preakness Stakes. He comes out for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert has won 7 Preaknesses already, and he has never run worse than second in the Preakness with a horse who won the Kentucky Derby.
Medina Spirit does have a lot going for him. His forward running style tends to play well at Pimlico, he drew a relatively inside gate, and he is game enough to fight off horses who are trying to pass him. The biggest downside to Medina Spirit is the price, as he should be a defined favorite in the Preakness.
Concert Tour is the other runner from the Bob Baffert barn. Outside posts can be tough in the Preakness, and he drew the farthest outside. He should be part of a contested pace, and it is a concern that he wasn’t able to stay on after fighting on the pace in a weaker-than-usual Arkansas Derby. At a short price, he will be an underlay.
Midnight Bourbon deserves some consideration. Though he was only 6th in the Kentucky Derby, he rallied for that position after overcoming a tough start and being knocked off of his usual forward running style. With a better break, Midnight Bourbon should be involved from start to finish for strong Preakness trainer Steve Asmussen.
The most interesting horse in the Preakness, and the one most likely to provide great value in the win pool, is Crowded Trade. The Chad Brown trainee does need to take a step forward, but the lightly-raced horse is tactically versatile, drew well, and fits the same profile as Brown’s Preakness winner in 2017, Cloud Computing.
Two longshots to consider, particularly in exotics, are Rombauer and Unbridled Honor.
Rombauer ships out for Michael McCarthy, who tends to be choosy and shrewd when shipping his runners out for stakes. He showed a more tactical style last out in the Blue Grass (G2) when he finished third behind the excellent Essential Quality, and a reprise of that running style in the Preakness gives him some longshot appeal.
Though Unbridled Honor is a late-running type who may not get all the way there, he is improving for hot trainer Todd Pletcher. He comes out of a good second in the Lexington, and with several forward horses entered in the Preakness, this son of Honor Code should have the stamina to threaten for underneath rungs of exotics.
The 2021 Preakness card also features eight other Thoroughbred stakes races on the undercard. The entire day is full of great betting opportunities, so keep these horses in mind as you bet the card!
