2011 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds - Bet Preakness Field Horses
There are several concepts unique to the Preakness Stakes race that have to be taken into account when handicapping the
second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown and particularly since the field won’t be set until the week before the race.
Once the Preakness Stakes field is announced it’s important to evaluate all of the entries not only as you would any
other race but with the following concepts in mind:
DISTANCE: The Preakness Stakes is run over a distance of a mile and 3/16, meaning that it’s actually a little bit shorter
than the Kentucky Derby which precedes it by two weeks. That means that there’s not much of a question about Preakness
entrants’ ability to handle this distance.
SCHEDULE: One of the most significant reasons that winning the Triple Crown is such a rare event is the grueling schedule
of the three races. While the ideal layoff between races varies from horse to horse, most high level equine competitors
race fewer than 10 times per year. In most cases, thoroughbreds seldom race without a break of three weeks to a month.
WEATHER/TRACK CONDITION: horses are very sensitive to the conditions in which they run and the surfaces they run on. On
balance, most owners and trainers try to avoid racing a promising young horse in inclement weather or on a sloppy track.
If the weather at a racetrack becomes particularly bad you’ll see a number of ‘late scratches’ for this reason.
POST POSITION: Only one horse "Rachel Alexandra" in 2009, has won the Preakness from the outside post position. In
theory, the horses who draw the inside post positions have an advantage over the ones to the outside in any race. At
Pimlico, however, there’s a historically demonstrated bias to horses that can run well on the rail. There’s been a number
of theories for why racing near the rail is so valuable at Pimlico, from firmer dirt to an advantage in the tight turns.
Whatever the reason, it’s something to pay attention to.
Eddie Arcaro : 6 - including 2 consecutive wins in 1950-51
Pat Day : 5 - including 3 consecutive wins in 1994-96
George Barbee, Bill Hartack and Lloyd Hughes : 3
The leading Preakness winning trainers are:
Robert W. Walden : 7
Thomas J. Healey : 5
D. Wayne Lukas : 5
"Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons : 4
H. A. "Jimmy" Jones : 4
Bob Baffert and John Whalen : 3
Calumet Farm is both the leading breeder and owner of Preakness winners with 7 each.
Set by Tank's Prospect in 1985 and equalled by Louis Quatorze in 1996, the speed record for
the current 1 3/16 miles (1.91 km) Preakness is 1 minute 53 2/5 seconds. The record victory
margin is 11½ lengths, by Smarty Jones in 2004.
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