Preakness Stakes 2013: A Guide on Everything You Need to Know
By Chris Marler
Chris Marler is a writer for FanSided partner BroJackson.com. For more great content, head on over to Bro Jackson and check out Chris’ work.
It’s time to dust off that rocks glass, fill it up with bourbon and bitters, and Google search exactly what the hell a trifecta is. Saturday marks the 138th running of The Preakness. Nine horses, including Triple Crown hopeful Orb, will run the 1 and 3/16ths miles to determine who will be crowned winner in The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.
The Preakness Stakes — the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown — is run every year on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course outside of Baltimore, MD. No, it’s not the king of all horse races that the Derby is, nor is it the king of all parties that the Belmont Stakes is. Think of The Preakness as Jan Brady – complete with braces–silently wedged in between the two.
Out of the gate, I will inform you, Joe Reader, that I know very little about horse racing. Pardon my ignorance. The only thing I know about horse racing is that every May people in Kentucky, Maryland, and New York get dressed up in their most lavish Easter outfits and drink Mint Juleps while gambling their disposable income and 401K earnings on whichever horse has the funniest sounding name.
As cynical as that sounds, this is the exact reason I love horse racing.
It’s a sport that celebrates drinking and gambling but with a touch of sophistication. “The Great Gatsby” meets “Rounders.” And, it couldn’t come at a better time than in May where sports fans are trudging through a bit of the doldrums in regards to sports excitement. Sure, we have baseball and the NBA and NHL playoffs, but that excitement pales in comparison to The Derby, The Belmont, and The Preakness. A seven game conference quarterfinal can’t compare to the 2 minutes of instant gratification that the Triple Crown Races have to offer.
But this is where we are going to take a wide left turn. There is something about tiny, sparkly jockeys atop those massive animals that reminds me of the fact that Hayden Panattierre is dating Wladimir Klitschko, but we’ll talk about that another time. Right now we need to know who is going to win this thing so we can speak knowingly and impress all of our friends.
Complete odds:
- Orb – 10/11
- Mylute – 13/2
- Departing -13/2
- Goldencents – 8/1
- Govenor Charlie – 10/1
- Itsmyluckyday – 10/1
- Will Take Charge – 12/1
- Oxbow – 16/1
- Titletown Five – 28/1
The only horse I believe to have a chance to upset Orb is Goldencents, which is co-owned by Louisville basketball Coach Rick Pitino. Goldencents runs well in the muck and has the speed down the stretch to stay with Orb. There is a 50 percent chance of rain Saturday, making an upset a strong possibility
You made it this far, you now know more about horse racing than a vast majority of Americans. Oh and the Black-Eyed Susans thing refers to a wreath of Maryland state flags that the winner sports around his neck. Facts—I’ve got a million of them. Enjoy the race and be grateful for the distraction it provides from the never-ending NBA playoffs. That stuff won’t be over until June–they take July and August off–and will be right back to their eternal, “Sandlot”-like hooping.
By the way, a $2 bet on the win will net approximately $7.60. An exacta will net $81.40, a trifecta $336.80 and the potentially life changing (if you bet more than $2) superfecta will bring $4,471.00.