Can Anyone Upset the Derby Champ? Unveiling the 2024 Preakness Stakes Lines

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The 2023 Preakness Stakes takes place in a few days. On Saturday, Mage steps into Pimlico’s starting gate hoping to win the Triple Crown’s second jewel. Only seven rivals will challenge Mage for the victory. Check out the entry list with morning line Preakness odds and the three horses with the best chances of upsetting the Derby winner.

Which horse will take down the Derby Champ? Check out Preakness Stakes odds along with an odds analysis before placing your bets for the race.

2023 Preakness Stakes Betting: What Horses Can Take Down the Derby Champ | MyBookie Horse Betting Preview

When: Saturday, May 20, 2023
Where: Pimlico Racecourse, Baltimore, MD
TV/Streaming: NBC/Peacock

First Mission can get it done on May 20

Brad Cox trained First Mission leads the list of three-year-olds that can end Mage’s Triple Crown hopes. Although it won’t be easy, the second choice on the morning line has the talent, breeding, and trainer to throw a wrench into Mage’s TC plans.

First Mission won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in the last. Although the Lexington doesn’t always produce a Triple Crown race winner, in fact, it rarely does, the Cox trainee isn’t just a Lexington Stakes winner.

The Street Sense sired runner came from a Medaglia d’Oro broodmare, Elude. First Mission might be the best bred runner in the race. Not only that, but First Mission completed the maiden to graded stakes race double.

It’s difficult for any horse to jump from a maiden victory to a graded win in the very next race. First Mission did so and he did it quite easily. Finally, Godolphin owns and the work on May 13 was electrifying.

If Baffert Has Taught National Treasure How to Harness His Speed, Watch Out

The second horse that can possibly beat Mage is the Bob Baffert trained National Treasure. National Treasure ran with blinkers in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in the last.

Jockey John Velasquez tried to rate National Treasure with some success. The horse ended up fourth. Tim Yakteen trained National Treasure leading up to the SA Derby because horses trained by Bob Baffert couldn’t run in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert has trained National Treasure leading up to the Preakness. So if Bob has taught National Treasure how to harness his speed, no doubt Johnny V. will be thinking of taking the lead aboard the Baffert runner, National Treasure is going to be difficult to run down.

A Fast Pace Could Set Up for Red Route One

The final horse to consider backing to beat Mage is Steve Asmussen trained Red Route One. The +1500 morning line choice to win the Preakness showed in the last that he’s got the talent to hang with Mage, First Mission, and National Treasure.

Red Route One beat a couple of winter book Derby contenders in Victory Formation and Tapit Shoes in the last. The Asmussen runner closed against a somewhat soft pace, a 46.4 half mile and 1:38.1 mile.

If the pace is any quicker in the Preakness than it was in the Bath House Stakes, Red Route One’s last race, the Gun Runner sired colt can win this.

Make no mistake, Mage is going to be difficult to beat. But if you want to take a shot, consider backing First Mission, National Treasure, or Red Route One.

Dark Horse Picks: National Treasure / Red Route One | Bet Preakness Stakes to Win
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2023 Preakness Stakes Entry List & Morning Line Odds

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Steve Asmussen trained Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby second place finisher, will enter the Preakness starting gate no better than a 6-5 choice. Most horseplayers believe Epicenter leaves the gate at even money or possibly at 4-5. Although favorites do win the Preakness, the likely odds make Epicenter close to unplayable. See below for three horses that can upset the Preakness chalk so you can get ready to bet against the Preakness Stakes Odds.

Three Horses that Can Upset Epicenter in the Preakness | Horse Racing Odds and Picks

2022 Preakness Stakes

When: Saturday, May 21, Race 13 at 7:01 pm ET
Where: Pimlico Race Course
TV/Streaming: NBC / Peacock

5-Early Voting 7-2

In 2017, trainer Chad Brown decided to skip the Kentucky Derby with his top 3-year-old prospect Cloud Computing and instead run in the Preakness. The move turned out to be the smart one because Cloud Computing won the Triple Crown’s second jewel.

This year, Brown is making the same move with Early Voting. The Gun Runner sired colt finished second in the Wood Memorial by a neck to Todd Pletcher trained Mo Donegal.

On Saturday, Early Voting could be lone speed. Armagnac has early foot, but the horse isn’t as quick out of the gate as Early Voting. So if the Brown runner grabs the lead, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Armagnac may sit off, which means Early Voting could take the Preakness field gate to wire.

2-Creative Minister 10-1

Creative Minister’s owners are putting up $150,000 to get the horse into the Preakness. The Creative Cause sired runner could have picked up a paycheck in the Sir Barton, but trainer Kenny McPeek believes his horse is good enough to win the second jewel.

Based on Creative Minister’s last performance, a victory in an $80,000 optional claimer, McPeek is correct. A few times during the race, jockey Brian Hernandez signaled Creative Minister to relax.

The horse listened to every cue Hernandez provided. Hernandez will pilot on Saturday. If anyone believes Creative Minister doesn’t have a chance, again, check out the last race. The McPeek runner finished second in the maiden and has won the last couple of tries.

Don’t be surprised if Creative Minister runs by them all in the stretch and wins the Preakness Stakes.

9-Skippylongstocking 20-1

Saffie Joseph Jr. is one of the best trainers in North America. He almost never saddles horses outside of Gulfstream Park, which is why many horseplayers aren’t familiar with Saffie.

In any case, Skippylongstocking finished third in his last race, the Wood Memorial. The horse was much closer to the strong pace Early Voting set in the Wood than Mo Donegal, which is why the best Skippy could do was hang on for third.

We should expect improvement. The works have been great and Saffie doesn’t bother unless he thinks he can win. Not only that, but Preakness winner Exaggerator sired and broodmare Twinkling calls War Chant her sire.

If Skippylongstocking has improved enough, he can win this. So take the 20-1 under the radar long shot seriously.

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If you haven’t heard by now, Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit may be disqualified. The Bob Baffert trained runner tested positive for betamethasone. Although things are up in the air regarding the Derby winner, there’s no doubt the Preakness Stakes will see new runners looking to grab their spot in history.

Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds from Preakness Stakes for Saturday, May 15. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.

Preakness Stakes Rumors: New Shooters Lineup to Take on Derby Winner

2021 Preakness Stakes

When: Saturday, May 15
Where: Pimlico Racecourse, Baltimore, MD
TV / Streaming: NBC

Medina Spirit ready to extend Triple Crown bid . . . but may not run

On the Monday before the Preakness Stakes, Bob Baffert said that his lawyer had prepared paperwork asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order should Pimlico deny Medina Spirit’s entry.

The chances of the Belinda Stronach run racetrack denying Baffert and Medina Spirit is close to zero. Why? Churchill Downs Inc. runs Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Belinda Stronach runs Pimlico, home of the Preakness Stakes.

The Stronach family are direct competitors with Churchill Downs. They’re the two largest racetrack operators in North America. No doubt, Belinda Stronach, who runs the organization for her father Frank, will bask in the glow for running the Derby winner in the Preakness and not giving in to what feels like Churchill’s fun-killing move.

We write fun-killing because Medina Spirit tested positive by a trace amount. Also, Baffert insists he doesn’t use that specific anti-inflammatory for Medina Spirit.

In 2019, the stewards under the Twin Spires disqualified Maximum Security, the horse that crossed the finish line first, even though to everyone watching, he was the obvious best horse in the race. 2020 saw Churchill move the Derby from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in September.

And, now, this issue in 2021. It feels as if Churchill Downs has a desire to kill it’s most famous event.

Midnight Bourbon’s connections say horse never got a shot in the Derby

Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon’s trainer, said his horse had no chance in the Kentucky Derby. Asmussen implied he wanted the son of Tiznow to go to the front.

Midnight Bourbon not only didn’t get to the front, but he wasn’t in the first flight. That may have cost him the race after Medina Spirit got away with a soft second-quarter.

In the Preakness, a race Asmussen won with filly Rachel Alexandra in 2009, we should expect Midnight Bourbon to go right to the lead. Either that, or stay off the flank of the front-runner.

New shooters have tools to upset the Kentucky Derby winner

Midnight Bourbon could have trouble getting the lead in the Preakness, though. Expected runners include Baffert trained Concert Tour, the Grade 2 Rebel winner that buried the competition when leading gate-to-wire.

Also Mike McCarthy trained Rombauer won’t be far off. Neither will Median Spirit if he isn’t denied a start. Nor will D. Wayne Lukas trained Ram, a son of American Pharoah. Crowded Trade, the Chad Brown trained entry, is likely to press the pace as well.

So even if Steve Asmussen and Midnight Bourbon’s connections want their horse to grab the lead, the chances of that happening aren’t great. The Preakness field should produce more front-running speed than the Derby and after witnessing Medina Spirit grab the lead under the Twin Spires and win, jockeys and trainers will all fight for the lead as soon as they break from the gate in the Triple Crown’s second jewel.

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