The Preakness pictured turned on Thursday. While Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike likely would not have been one of the top betting choices in the second leg of the Triple Crown, his presence would have created intrigue after his 80-1 upset in the Run for the Roses.
The horse’s connections decided to skp the race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and that will mean other horses ticketed for the Preakness should see plenty of action in wagering at BetUS and on-track.
The three top contenders will likely be Epicenter and Zandon, who finished second and third in the Kentucky Derby behind Rich Strike. The duo dueled through the stretch and looked like a two-horse battle to the wire until Rich Strike’s stirring surge.
The other horse that will certainly create a betting buzz is the filly Secret Oath. She faced the boys in the Arkansas Derby and finished third. Trained by 86-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath came back in the Kentucky Oaks, the day before the run for the Roses, and was electric in winning the race.
Another horse who could take some play is Simplification, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby. He picks up top jockey John Velazquez, who can only improve the horse’s performance at Pimlico.
That’s a look at some of the top contenders in the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Thoroughbred Triple Cown.
