Jimmy Boyd in 
We are just a few days away from the 2019 Preakness Stakes. For those of you who don’t know, it’s held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The actual race itself is schedule for 6:18 EST on Saturday, May 18.
While the Kentucky Derby is capped at 20 horses, only 14 spots are made available for the Preakness. We’re not going to reach the limit this year. As of today there are only 12 horses that currently have betting lines to win the race.
There will be no attempt at a Triple Crown this year. Kentucky Derby winner, Country House, has withdrew from the race. In fact, only 4 of the 12 horses who currently have odds ran at Churchill Downs.
Improbable is the best of those four horses, as he came in 4th at the Derby and is currently listed as the odds on favorite at 2 to 1.
Only 4 times since 1983 has a horse won the Preakness after skipping the first leg of the Triple Crown. The most recent being in 2017 with Cloud Computing.
If you are looking for some expert advice, be sure to check out my Preakness Stakes predictions. I’ll be releasing my win/place/show picks soon.
In the mean time, check out my quick breakdown of the top contenders. I’ve also put together a betting guide and will be updating our Preakness payouts page at the conclusion of the race.
Vegas Odds on Favorites to Win the 2019 Preakness Stakes
Improbable (2/1)
When you factor the lack of success that horses have had who race at Pimlico after not making the field at the Kentucky Derby, it’s easy to see why Improbable is the favorite. He had the best finish of the four horses in the field at the Preakness who ran at Churchill Downs.
Improbable came in 4th after closing as the favorite to win the Derby at 4 to 1. Trainer, Bob Baffert, has spoken very highly of his horse going into Saturday’s big race.
War of Will (3/1)
If you don’t think the books are favoring the odds to the horses that ran well at the Derby, all you have to do is look at War of Will. He’s got the second best odds in the field at 3 to 1 and that’s after a 7th place finish in the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Interesting to not that War of Will performed exactly as expected, as he closed with the 7th best odds to win the race at 16.7 to 1.
Alwaysmining (7/1)
Here’s a look at one of the top “new” contenders in the field. That would be Maryland’s very own Alwaysmining. Win or lose, many feel like this horse will play a key role in how things unfold on Saturday. Alwaysmining likes to set the pace and has the speed to do it. Keep in mind this is the shortest of the three legs in the Triple Crown, so it’s not out of the question he could go wire to wire.
Alwaysmining won’t lack any confidence. He’s won each of the last 6 races he’s started.
Bourbon War (7/1)
Bourbon War is right there alongside Alwaysmining in terms of odds to win. Both share the third best odds in the field at 7 to 1. Bourbon War was on the bubble to making the field at the Kentucky Derby, so he should be one of the better horses who didn’t run at Churchill Downs.
The big question with Bourbon War is whether the 7-week break between races will benefit him or hurt him. I’m sure there’s some concern out there with a 4th place finish in his most recent race at the Florida Derby, Bourbon War has a pedigree that makes him more than worthy of consideration.
Updated List of Current Betting Odds for Each Horse in the Field
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Improbable | 2/1 |
| War of Will | 3/1 |
| Alwaysmining | 7/1 |
| Bourbon War | 7/1 |
| Owendale | 17/2 |
| Anothertwistafate | 10/1 |
| Win Win Win | 10/1 |
| Signalman | 14/1 |
| Warriors Charge | 16/1 |
| Bodexpress | 20/1 |
| Market King | 20/1 |
| Laughing Fox | 22/1 |
