Friday, May 18, 2018

Justify Will Win the 143rd Preakness on Saturday!


  143rd Preakness Predictions

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!

Image result for justify horse

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.

Image result for good magic horse

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.

Image result for bravazo horse

Good luck!