This is the place for 2021 Preakness Stakes picks! This year, ten horses will go 1 3/16 miles, and a $1 million purse is at stake. Find out the best bets, and where to be the race online, right here.
This is the place for 2021 Preakness Stakes picks! The Preakness is the second leg of the American Triple Crown, and it is one of the biggest Thoroughbred horse races of the year. This year, ten horses will go 1 3/16 miles, and a $1 million purse is at stake.
Though some fans will be allowed at the Preakness this year, it will be far fewer than in previous years. Pimlico Race Course is limiting attendance to 10,000 fans. Fortunately, you can enjoy the thrill of the Preakness no matter where you are by betting the Preakness Stakes online at one of the best online sportsbooks!
The 2021 Preakness field, with Preakness trainers and jockeys as well as official morning lines, is as follows:
- Ram – D. Wayne Lukas/Ricardo Santana, Jr. (30-1)
- Keepmeinmind – Robertino Diodoro/David Cohen (15-1)
- Medina Spirit – Bob Baffert/John Velazquez (9-5)
- Crowded Trade – Chad Brown/Javier Castellano (10-1)
- Midnight Bourbon – Steve Asmussen/Irad Ortiz, Jr. (5-1)
- Rombauer – Michael McCarthy/Flavien Prat (12-1)
- France Go De Ina – Hideyuki Mori/Joel Rosario (20-1)
- Unbridled Honor – Todd Pletcher/Luis Saez (15-1)
- Risk Taking – Chad Brown/Jose Ortiz (15-1)
- Concert Tour – Bob Baffert/Mike Smith (5-2)
Though those are the morning line odds, they are subject to change as the race draws closer. To make sure you get the best odds on your Preakness horse, make sure to sign up for a trusted online sportsbook. That way, you can lock in the best odds just like at a Vegas casino or Facebook, but from the comfort and safety of your own home.
| Horse |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concert Tour | 2.82 | TBA | TBA |
| Medina Spirit | 3.02 | TBA | TBA |
| Midnight Bourbon | 6.92 | TBA | TBA |
| Risk Taking | 9.00 | TBA | TBA |
| Rombauer | 11.00 | TBA | TBA |
| Crowded Trade | 13.00 | TBA | TBA |
Preakness Predictions
Despite the controversy coming out of the Kentucky Derby, both Medina Spirit and his stablemate Concert Tour will be allowed to run in the Preakness Stakes pending the results of a pre-race drug test. Their trainer Bob Baffert has won a record seven editions of the Preakness and has done particularly well with horses coming out of Kentucky Derby wins.
Preakness Handicapping
Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby, has a lot of early speed and is very game when challenged upfront. That kind of a frontrunning style does play well in the Preakness Stakes, and in general at Pimlico. However, he will not have an easy time upfront.
His stablemate Concert Tour, drawn to the far outside, has shown pace in all four of his starts. The heavy favourite in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Concert Tour weakened late, so he has to prove that he can come back and that he can stay the trip. Though, he does have some solid stamina influences close up in his breeding, with Street Sense and Tapit.
Midnight Bourbon, sixth in the Kentucky Derby, is also expected to show speed. He had to rally from well off the pace in the Derby after having trouble early, but his more natural style has him forward. He is a consistent horse who always tries hard and tends to run to his company, and hit the board in all three of the Derby preps at Fair Grounds.
France Go de Ina is the wild card. Though he showed a lot of speed in Japan, overseas speed doesn’t tend to be as sharp as American speed, and he may not be fast enough even with some gate work before the Preakness. Furthermore, France Go de Ina had trouble early in the UAE Derby (G2), and was out of the running after that poor start.
Preakness Longshots
Crowded Trade and Risk Taking both represent the Chad Brown barn. Between the two, Crowded Trade appeals more. Even though he has yet to win a stakes race, he hit the board in both the Gotham (G3) and the Wood (G2). His tactical speed and relative inside gate can help him work out a trip and not have too much to do late.
Ram drew the rail, which has been an excellent post this meet at Pimlico. However, he is facing stakes company for the first time and has to improve sharply. His trainer D. Wayne Lukas did upset the Preakness with Oxbow in 2013, but even he had far more experience against good horses than Ram has, and even the best post may not help enough.
Rombauer looked like a deep closer going into the Blue Grass (G2), but showed a more tactical style in that last race. That should help him work out a better trip at Pimlico, and Michael McCarthy is a west-coast trainer who is as shrewd as it gets when shipping out for stakes races elsewhere. He has the makings of a live longshot.
Keepmeinmind and Unbridled Honor are the deep closers. Deep closers rarely win the Preakness. Sometimes they can run on for the lower rungs of trifectas or superfectas, and Unbridled Honor has enough upside to continue improving and be attractive for intra-race exotic wagers that can spread underneath. But, a win may be too much to ask.
Betting the Preakness Online
If you are not one of the lucky 10,000 fans who will be on-site for the Preakness, you can still have a great betting experience with the best odds! Set up an online betting account with one or more of the best sportsbooks. They will offer live Preakness odds, as well as great bonuses and rebates for Preakness players.
Let our sportsbook reviews help you find the one that is best for you, and then be ready to bet the 2021 Preakness Stakes with confidence!
Expert Preakness Picks
Medina Spirit will be the favourite in the Preakness, and given Bob Baffert’s record with Derby winners in the Preakness, he has to figure. However, he is not the only option. Crowded Trade drew well and has good tactical speed, and should provide good value in the win pool. Midnight Bourbon and Rombauer also have some longshot and exotic appeal
- $5 to win/place/show – #4 Crowded Trade
- $1 exacta box – #3 Medina Spirit, #4 Crowded Trade, #5 Midnight Bourbon
- 20 cent superfecta box – #3 Medina Spirit, #4 Crowded Trade, #5 Midnight Bourbon, #6 Rombauer, #8 Unbridled Honor
2021 Preakness Undercard Picks
2021 Preakness day 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 play through the card!
- Race 1 – $100,000 Sir Barton S. – #1 The King Cheek
- Race 3 – $200,000 Chick Lang S. (G3) – #3 Hemp
- Race 6 – $150,000 Gallorette S. (G3) – #3 Flighty Lady
- Race 8 – $100,000 James W. Murphy S. – #7 Charles Chrome
- Race 9 – $100,000 Skipat S. – #2 Casual
- Race 10 – $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. – #4 The Critical Way
- Race 11 – $150,000 Maryland Sprint Match Series S. (G3) – #1 Laki
- Race 12 – $250,000 Dinner Party S. (G2) – #8 Bye Bye Melvin
