The 143rd running of the Preakness will be held on Saturday with a
much smaller field than the Kentucky Derby. As a reminder, I correctly picked Justify
(#7) to win the Derby two weeks ago – making it five Derby winners in a row... and I believe Justify will easily win on
Saturday. While his 1-2 line is very
rich, he will run near the front and eventually win the Preakness going away
--- the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Best Horse: #7 (1:2) Justify. With
the best trainer in the business, Bob Baffert, and top jockey, Mike Smith, aboard Justify – the handicappers
have this right. This is a large and fast horse – Baffert called him the LeBron
James of thoroughbreds – and he trained American Pharoah! The only issue is
that Justify sustained a minor hoof injury running in the slop in Louisville,
but this won’t stop him, but it might keep his time near 1:54. Justify
dominates the field on Saturday!
In the Money: #5 (3:1) Good Magic. Although
Justify will be the next Triple Crown winner, Good Magic will keep him honest. He
ran second in the Derby – and will likely place second again this week. With a solid
trainer, Chad Brown, and Jose Ortiz in the irons, #5 will finish in the money.
Nice post position should keep him near the front and by following Justify he
will be near the front of the 1 3/16 mile Pimlico main course at the end of the race.
Long-shot: #8 (20:1) Bravazo. Trained by the legendary, D. Wayne Lukas (a Wisconsin native), and ridden by Luis Saez,
Bravazo is a true long-shot. His 20-1 odds should probably be even higher given
his inconsistent past performances. The sixth-place
finish in the Derby was a surprise – and who knows, Lukas has won the Preakness
six times! With a small field and running next to Justify, Bravazo could offer
a nice payout in an exotic bet.
Good luck!
