Preakness Picks 2019: Trifecta Prediction & Odds

Getty

Improbable is one of the favorites heading into the 2019 Preakness.

The 2019 Preakness Stakes arrives with a bit of suspicion with no Triple Crown attempt on the line. Our picks break down the top Preakness contenders and latest odds in the 13-horse field. Improbable and War of Will enter the race as two of the favorites.

It is hard not to like Bob Baffert’s track record at Pimlico and the veteran trainer adds Mike Smith to Improbable’s saddle for today’s race. Smith and Baffert teamed up to win the 2018 Preakness on Justify’s way to winning the Triple Crown. Smith believes we still have not seen Improbable’s best race after finishing a disappointing fourth at the Kentucky Derby.

“I certainly think that we haven’t seen his best race yet, although he showed signs of brilliance at different times,” Smith explained to the Denver Post. “[He hopes to] get him to run one of those A-plus races. He’s not without a huge chance of winning the whole thing.”

Kentucky Derby Winner Country House & Maximum Security Are Both Absent From the Preakness Field

War of Will had unfortunate luck at the Kentucky Derby getting cut off by Maximum Security. Some believe War of Will had a good chance to race to the front prior to the incident. As for the Preakness, I have skepticism with his No. 1 post draw along the rail. The only horse to have won the Preakness from this spot over the last two decades is American Pharoah, who went on to win the Triple Crown.

The Preakness field is a bit watered down with Country House’s team opting to skip the race and forego their chance at a Triple Crown. After the controversial ending at Churchill Downs, Maximum Security’s owners also opted not to race at the Preakness.

One horse to keep an eye on is Maryland-bred Alwaysmining. The horse has won six straight races and enters the Preakness rested in his home state. Alwaysmining’s team decided to skip the Kentucky Derby and have been targeting this race for sometime, per America’s Best Racing. I like Alwaysmining to finish inside the top three.

The field lacks a major stud with all the withdrawls. This is why I would box my trifecta pick which means you pay a little extra to ensure that you get paid by naming the top three horses no matter the order they finish.

For me, it is hard to go against the combo of Baffert and Smith in such a mediocre field. Baffert has excelled at the Preakness and look for him to notch his record-breaking eighth win in the race thanks to Improbable.

Here is a look at the latest Preakness Odds, courtesy of OddsShark.

Preakness Stakes Odds 2019

Preakness Trifecta Pick: 1. Improbable 2. Alwaysmining 3. Anothertwistafate