Preakness 2014: Everything you need to know
By Josh Sanchez
On Saturday evening, the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place as the ten horses in the field take their posts at approximately 6:18 p.m. ET. The Preakness is one of the most prestigious races in horse racing and serves as the second leg of the Triple Crown, so crossing the finish line first could end up being one of the biggest wins of an owner’s career.
While spectators are filling the stands with their Black-Eyed Susans and sitting at home to see home the final order plays out, there will be a lot of money on the line for the owners, trainers, jockeys and those at home who have placed a little bit of money on the line.
California Chrome enters the race as the clear-cut favorite to bring home the win, as the 2014 Kentucky Derby winner attempts to continue his run at history.
We all know that California Chrome is heavily favored in the race, but are there any potential challengers that could fill the spoiler role?
Let’s take a closer look at the field.
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The Longshots
Ria Antonia (30-1)
Ria Antonia, ridden by Calvin Borel, is the only filly in the field and the biggest longshot that will be taking part in Saturday’s big race. While it would be great for bettors to see Ria Antonia shock the world, it is highly unlikely that the horse will challenge for one of the top three spots.
After a sixth-place finish at the Kentucky Oaks, there is some hope that she will be able to dance with the big boys at Pimlico, but not even Calvin Borel will be able to pull off a miracle on Saturday against a stacked field.
Pablo Del Monte (20-1)
There is a chance that some spotty weather could play a factor at Pimlico this weekend, which would be terrible news for Pablo Del Monte.
Pablo Del Monte is already up against long odds on a dirt track, so Jeffrey Sanchez will need to pull off a stunner if he wants to finish in the front of the pack. Unfortunately for owner Wesley A. Ward, the chances of that happening are slim to none.
Kid Cruz (20-1)
Kid Cruz is known to get off to a slow start, which spells disaster in a field that includes a horse like California Chrome.
The three-year-old colt is coming off of two straight wins, but making his debut against stakes competitors in the Preakness is a tall task for anyone.
While Kid Cruz is unlikely to find a place among the top finishers, it would be great to see that happen because the horse is named after New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz and the NFL player will be in attendance for the race. Cruz even promised to give a little salsa lesson to trainer Linda Rice if the longshot comes away with the win.
“If Kid Cruz wins the Preakness, tell Linda I’ll show her how to salsa,” Cruz said, via the Connecticut Post.
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The Spoilers
General A Rod (15- 1)
As one of few horses in the Preakness field with Kentucky Derby experience, there is an outside chance that General A Rod will be able to give a big pay off to the bettors who are confident enough to lay down a wager on the horse.
However, General A Rod has had some trouble with distance which will be a big issue against the top competitors in the 130th running of the Preakness.
If there is any hope for General A Rod to come away with the win, he will need to get off to a quick start.
Ride On Curlin (10-1)
Outside of the top two competitors in this weekend’s race, Ride On Curlin is one of the most intriguing plays.
Like General A Rod, Ride On Curlin has experience against top competition at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month. If the three-year-old colt was able to learn from the derby experience, he has a real chance to finish inside of the top three at Pimlico.
There are some concerns about drawing the outside post for Saturday’s race, but the good news is Ride On Curlin recorded one of the fastest times during practice runs earlier this week.
The Favorites
Social Inclusion (5-1)
Social Inclusion has a lot of experience against the top derby competitors and has fared well when taking the track against said competitors.
The colt has had some success pacing the field and leading heading into the final stretches, so if that is the case again on Saturday then it could come down to the wire as Social Inclusion attempts to hold off California Chrome.
California Chrome (3-5)
As noted in the tweet above, there were some reports that California Chrome was dealing with a cold after arriving to Baltimore, Maryland for the 2014 Preakness Stakes. However, the reports proved to be a false alarm.
If California Chrome, who is the clear favorite in the field, would have had any sickness to deal with then that would have opened the door for some of the other top competitors to come away with the win and end his bid at the Triple Crown.
Unfortunately for everyone in today’s race, California Chrome is ready to go and the rest of the field will need to hope for a major slip up or else the colt should once again pull away with another dominant win and march towards the Belmont on June 7 with a shot at history.
Projected Payouts
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The 2014 Preakness Stakes is shaping up to be an exciting race thanks to California Chrome’s dominance in the past, so all eyes will be on Pimlico when the race airs on NBC to see whether or not the Belmont Stakes will come with the appeal of a potential Triple Crown winner being in the field.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the remainder of the day for the latest betting odds, news and results from the 2014 Preakness Stakes.