There will not be a Triple Crown winner in 2022, but that doesn’t mean the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes will lack excitement. Kentucky Derby favorite Epicenter is included among the field of nine horses and once again is favored to topple the field. He won’t have to worry about Rich Strike, who made a late surge to take the bed of roses earlier this month.
Epicenter placed second and is one of three in the field that ran the Derby. Two other horses – Creative Minister and Secret Oath – ran on Derby day giving those five an advantage on Saturday. Of those, Epicenter, Secret Oath and Creative Minister should be considered in the outright market.
2022 Preakness Stakes Date and Time
The 2022 Preakness Stakes takes place on Saturday, May 21, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD. Post time is 7:01 p.m. ET. The race will air live on NBC with betting options available at BookMaker.eu.
2022 Preakness Stakes Odds
Epicenter +105
Early Voting +429
Secret Oath +515
Simplification +655
Creative Minister +1247
Skippylongstocking +1800
Armagnac +2137
Happy Jack +2683
Fenwick +6050
(Odds provided by BookMaker.eu as of May 20, 2022)
Odds Analysis
After what happened two weeks ago in Louisville a lot of people are looking at the longshots for a big payday. The likelihood of another upset winner is slim since the field is half of what we saw at the Kentucky Derby. The longest shot of them all is Fenwick at 60/1. Could he pull off the upset and shock the horse racing world again? I’m going to go out on a limb and say no. Of course I would have said that a few weeks ago, too.
The three horses at the top of the odds board are most likely to contend for the Preakness. Epicenter was this close (holding thumb and forefinger millimeters apart) to winning the Run for the Roses before being overtaken at the end. It’s been a busy past several months for him finishing first or second in all six races since November. He’s a deserving favorite but his workload and crushing loss two weeks ago takes some of the luster off his accomplishments.
The second favorite, Early Voting hasn’t raced since mid-April finishing a close second to Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher Mo Donegal at the G2 Wood Memorial. His speed out of the gate will get him an early lead and he should benefit from the smaller field and less congestion on the track. We saw trainer Chad Brown skip the Kentucky Derby a few years ago only to win at Pimlico with Cloud Computing. Can lightning strike twice?
Finishing first in a strong field of 14 horses at the Kentucky Oaks lifted Secret Oath up the odds board. It was an impressive showing a few weeks back with a burst out of the gate and a solid gallop throughout. We’ve seen a filly win the Preakness six times previously with Swiss Skydiver the most recent in 2020. Though the odds are stacked against her, Secret Oath has dominated with four firsts in her last five races. There is plenty of speed in the field and Secret Oath has the ability to match every horse, which should allow her to stay at the front of the pack.
While listed as the fourth favorite, I have questions about Simplification. He finished off the board for the first time on a dirt track with a fourth at the Kentucky Derby. He also has the rail on Saturday, which traditionally hasn’t been the most ideal. Since 1961 only three horses starting in the No. 1 post have won the race. Simplification will also have a new jockey with John Velazquez taking the reins. A highly decorated rider, Velazquez has never won the Preakness in 11 tries.
As for the longshots, don’t waste your money on Fenwick. He’s racing just to get the numbers up. Creative Minister, though, is an interesting horse. His racing career started just a few months ago with a pair of wins and a close loss in three starts. He hasn’t run in a field as competitive as this, which could be a drawback, but his speed numbers have improved in every race.
2022 Preakness Stakes Predictions
I backed Epicenter in the Kentucky Derby for obvious reasons and he nearly paid off. The shorter race will help his chances, but as I mentioned he’s done a lot in a short time and that setback a few weeks ago could have a bearing on his eventual placement. One surprise is Secret Oath, who had a relatively easy time in her last race. She has the speed to take the lead and can finish. Not many fillies have won at Pimlico, but I feel comfortable backing Secret Oath.
Preakness Stakes Finish: 1) Secret Oath 2) Epicenter 3) Simplification
